


Welcome Aboard, I am Captain Walker

by SnappleNinja



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Assassination Plot(s), Auction, Black Markets, Dark Magic, Double Agents, Duelling, Dungeon, Earth, Emperor Garmadon, Eventual Llorumi, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fire, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Imprisonment, Kinda Kailor, Lightning - Freeform, Living Together, Ninja, Nom (Ninjago), Older Man/Younger Woman, Older Woman/Younger Man, Partners in Crime, Pirate Jay, Power Play, Protectiveness, Psychological Torture, Punishment, Reluctant Leader, Self-Discovery, Sky Pirates, Slavery, Slow Burn, Stiix (Ninjago), Supernatural Elements, Sweat, Team Fluff, Teamwork, The Enemy of My Enemy, Torture, Water, Zane comes later ;), energy, father vs son, leverage - Freeform, noodle factory, showering, skylor kicks butt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 163,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22213741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnappleNinja/pseuds/SnappleNinja
Summary: (Remaining in the canon lore but roles are changed)Since Emperor Garmadon's rule began, the large country of Ninjago has faced years of oppression and suffering.  The original Emperor and Empress - kicked off their thrones - are thought to be dead.Jay's just a so-so pirate who really couldn't care less about the world he flew far away from.  Kai and Nya are orphans living just a bit above being considered poor.  Cole's a performer, Skylor's a respected assassin who wants a certain princess dead, and Lloyd's the Emperor's son who wants them ALL dead.And poor Princess Harumi just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Relationships: Lloyd Garmadon/Harumi, Nya/Jay Walker, P.I.X.A.L./Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 119
Kudos: 148





	1. Pirates

The young men and women aboard the Misfortune’s Keep had quickly grown distaste for the captain’s hospitality. Captain Walker hadn’t come to see them in hours, and food hadn’t been brought into that room for even longer.

Harumi looked around the room at those people, each from very different backstories. Nya and Kai were mere blacksmiths who lived in Ignacia, Cole was a stage performer from a wealthy family, Skylor was the daughter of an evil crime lord named Chen, and Lloyd was literally the son of Emperor Garmadon, that terrible man who had taken control of the entire country.

Harumi made sure to stay her ground around both Lloyd and Skylor, who seemed like they would both kill her and then each other without a second thought. Lloyd just sat there, with his eyes fixed on the floor and his hands folded in his lap, his head held low. Skylor stood against the wall not far beside him, twirling a knife around in her hand.

“When is that pirate finally gonna let us go?” Kai groaned, helplessly ailing in the corner beside his sister, who rubbed his back to comfort him. “He won’t keep us here forever, right?”

“He’d better not,” Cole frowned angrily. “Or my family will have his head.”

“You really think your dancer father will be able to do anything about our situation?” Nya scoffed. “May I remind you that we have the son of _Emperor Garmadon_ here, and the daughter of Master Chen, not to mention the former Princess of Ninjago…and none of those families have done anything.”

“It’s been days,” Kai nodded.

“My father would kill all the pirates on this ship if he wanted to,” Lloyd assured them with a cold glare. “When has use for me, he will come.”

“When he has use for you?” Cole raised his eyebrows. “Doesn’t exactly sound like he shows any fatherly affection towards his own son!” 

“Well, he _is_ a cruel warlord,” Kai pointed out.

“Silence!” Skylor snapped, causing a great awkward silence to fill the room. “You waste your breath speaking of things that you are beneath.”

“Yeah?”Nya stood up, fed up with the people she was seated near. “And where are _your_ parents, huh?”

“Where’s yours?” Skylor shot back with a smirk, watching Nya stumble backwards in fear. “I know you and your brother, your blacksmith shop once provided great weapons to my father.”

“We’ve _never s_ old any weapons to that slime,” Kai spoke with distaste.

“No, but your parents did,” Skylor spoke, watching the siblings’ eyes grow in shock. “How do you think my father outfitted his army with such fine weaponry and armor? Ironic, how your parents died by the swords they fashioned.”

“Why, I’ll gut you raw like a fish, you little-“ Kai lashed out, storming towards Skylor before being held back by his sister’s strong arms. 

“Let it go, Kai,” Nya whispered to him, listening to his breathing soften and his heartbeat grow slower. “She’s lying to us, anyway.”

The door finally swung open and four pirates filed into the dungeon room, each armed with firearms and swords. As they each presented themselves in their specific orders, the captain himself walked in, his hat seated proudly upon his reddish-brown haired head. A smug grin was firmly planted on his mouth, and his one eye that wasn’t covered by the eyepatch seemed to widen in anticipation.

“Hello, my guests, I assume you all slept well?” Captain Walker chuckled, carefully motioning for one of the pirates to move closer into the room as he noticed Skylor twirling her knife as she had been. “And where, my dear, did you find _that_?”

Skylor shugged, continuing to twirl the blade dangerously and delicately between her fingers. “I had it, so I decided I wanted to play with it. Got a problem?”

“Yes, the problem is that my men didn’t check you for weapons close enough,” Captain Walter spoke venomously, glaring at the pirates who winced back in response. “Doubloon, take the weapon from Miss Chen here, please.”

Skylor hesitated as the masked man approached her with his hand extended, but finally she rested the knife in his hand and watched as he backed away with it.

“Please, Captain Walker, you must listen to me,” Kai stood up with fleeting hope, being stopped by two of the pirates before he could get too close. “My sister and I are innocent, we didn’t do anything wrong and you won’t be able to get any money out of us, I promise. We’re just blacksmiths.”

“Hmm, Flintlocke, my second mate, do you know if this is true?” Captain Walker looked over at the pirate who stood beside him with combed black hair and a thick mustache. “You and your group were the ones who brought in all of these guests, correct?”

“I…I’m not sure, Captain,” Flintlocke shook his head honestly. “Whoever they are, and whatever their occupation is, they were found on the streets in that same fight with the Princess and the others.”

“We were trying to do the right thing,” Kai yelled in defense. “That crime lord slime Skylor was kidnapping Princess Harumi!”

“And that is when the Emperor’s son arrived to arrest them all,” Flintlocke explained to his captain, who nodded in response. “I’ll say, you don’t normally make such a fine catch these days.”

“No, you do not,” Captain Walker smiled, looking over the group. “And Mr. Cole, I am told you come from a wealthy family of performers, correct?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“And how exactly did _you_ get involved in this conflict with such unrelated people?”

Cole held his head low with a sigh. “It wasn’t my choice at first, but our most recent performance was where the kidnapping happened in the first place. Princess Harumi was our esteemed member of the audience, but the fighting caused a panic and almost ruined my family’s business. I just…wanted to get back at those horrible wretches while I had the chance,” Cole glared at Lloyd and Skylor. “I believed it was only destiny that I could get both in one place.”

“Revenge, I respect that,” Captain Walker laughed in admiration. “I myself have entangled in much revenge over the years, mainly towards my former rival, Nadakhan the Djinn, whom I singlehandedly imprisoned in a teapot for eternity.” 

“Please, Captain Walker, we want nothing to do with revenge or kidnapping or any of that sort,” Nya pleaded with the pirate, standing beside her brother with desperate eyes. “We wish only to go home. We meant no offense to you.”

“Oh, offense?” Captain Walker shook his head with a smile. “Most certainly not, my fair lady.” He reached to grab Nya’s hand, surprisingly finding no resistance. He kissed it, watching the girl’s face flush and a shy smirk overcome her. “I admire your honesty and your respect towards me and my crew. However I am afraid I cannot release you for now, as I yet have use for the both of you.”

“What are you talking about?” Kai asked furiously, grabbing Nya’s arm cautiously.

“After taking Emperor Garmadon’s son into captivity, we’ve had to evade several of his fighter ships,” Flintlocke explained. “Soon enough, we may have Chen’s own forces after us, and when either of those sides finally corners us somewhere, we’ll need as much leverage as possible.”

“Emperor Garmadon won’t care about us,” Kai looked bewildered. 

“Just wait and see, and I promise you and your sister will not be harmed,” Captain Walker assured them. 

A loud thud shook the vessel, and everyone fell to their knees.

“What was that?” Captain Walker exclaimed.

“Captain!” A pirate yelled as he entered the room. “We’re under attack. It’s Garmadon’s forces. He’s sent his top assassin along with five shuttles carrying soldiers.”

“Ready the deck and hoist the sails!” Captain Walker yelled. “Have Clancee fire up the engines and start the hyperdrive. Everyone else, grab a weapon and prepare for battle if we cannot escape!”

The pirates all left the room and shut the door, leaving the prisoners alone again.

“They can’t expect us to just wait down here!” Kai groaned.

“I told you,” Lloyd spoke, seeming to make everyone, including Skylor, shake in surprise. “My father is merciless. The princess and Chen’s daughter will be very useful to him.”

“And will you?” Cole questioned, only to gain a glare from Lloyd.

“If his plan requires it.”

The sound of gunfire echoed above the deck, confirming that escape had not been successful. Soon cries of pain could be heard as the sound of bodies falling to the floor shook the ceiling.

“Whoever Garmadon sent,” Nya shrunk back in fear, “is very skilled. I can hear Captain Walker’s men dying one after another.”

“Maybe the blonde boy is right,” Cole nodded, gesturing to Lloyd. “In a matter of minutes, we may be the only ones left on the ship.”

“So much for fearsome pirates,” Harumi sighed, standing up to observe the door.

“Hey, Princess, we tried that,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “The door can’t be broken from the inside.”

“Then I’ll…look at it from a different perspective!” Harumi spoke confidently, prying her fingers all along the outline of the door, still finding nothing.

* * *

“Captain, that assassin is too powerful for the men,” Flintlocke yelled over his own gunfire as she shot down another of Garmadon’s soldiers. We’ve lost far too many, it’s only a matter of time until he gets to the prisoners.”

“There he is,” Captain Walker breathed, watching in fear as the masked man walked across the deck, approaching him. He wore a biker helmet with a dark red visor, his jacket bearing red and black details. He fought with only a pair of katanas that were painted with the color of blood. Not a single gun could be seen on him.

“Captain…?” Flintlocke stepped back in defense as he watched the man walk closer to the assassin.

“Mr. E,” Walker spoke loud enough for him to hear. “I’ve heard of the brutal assaults you’ve engaged for Emperor Garmadon these past few months. You killed General Kozu, so I at least can respect you for that. The guy robbed me once before.”

Mr. E said nothing, only stood with his swords raised.

“Okay,” Captain Walker sighed, slowly roaming his hands down to the pistols on his hips. He quickly drew them, firing off quickly at Mr. E before rolling for cover as the assassin ran towards him.

Both of Walker’s shots had been deflected by Mr. E’s katanas, a mistake the pirate was confident he wouldn’t make again.

Walker continued firing, each one making a dent in Mr. E’s armor and slowing him long enough for the captain to pull out his sword and block the strike.

The fight continued for a few minutes, neither of them managing to land a blow until Mr. E managed to slip around Jay and slash at his side from behind. Had it not been for Walker’s reflexes, the assassin would have cut him all the way through.

“Ah!” Walker groaned as he held his side, finally raising his arm to fire a powerful stream of electricity at Mr. E, blasting him far away, clear off the deck. The pirate captain rushed over to the side of the deck, watching Mr. E disappear from view as he fell into the abyss. The Misfortune’s Keep had been hiding out around the Glacier Barrens, and Walker had a feeling the cold would eventually take Mr. E’s life if help didn’t come for him.

“Captain!” Flintlocke rushed over. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Flintlocke, I just have a sword wound I need covered up.”

“Of course, captain, I’ll have Dogshank get the medical supplies right away!”

* * *

Another hour went by before the door to the dungeon room opened again and Captain Walker entered, his face quite solemn. This time his pirates did not follow him, but stood outside the door.

“I have a proposition for you all,” Walker spoke, gaining some confused looks from his prisoners. “We found some information of Garmadon’s army from one of his crashed fighters. He knows we have his son, and he knows we have the princess.”

“So he’ll just come back with more soldiers to kill us and take them into his own custody!” Kai fumed. “You say we have a purpose here, but it’s clear that Garmadon has no concern for us.”

“At this point, it’s better that you stay with me because they know we have you onboard, and if we leave you in a village or something, they could come after you and get information,” Flintlocke explained.

“Until we sort out this mess, your best chance at safety is actually with us,” Captain Walker nodded in agreement. “I have decided to work _with_ each of you, as it would seem my crew is not very well prepared for such an army on its own. We lost a lot of good pirates out there…” Walker hung his head sadly. 

“So you’ll let us out of this cell?”Cole’s eyes widened.

Captain Walker nodded.

“But what about Lloyd? He’s literally Garmadon’s son, why would he help us escape?” Kai asked.

Walker looked at Lloyd knowingly. “ _He_ will remain in vengestone chains until he accepts his purpose on this ship under _my_ leadership. For now, Lloyd Garmadon,” he faced the boy, “you will be free to roam the ship but you will not be able to do anything without being unchained. At least that way you won’t be able to rain hellfire on us.”

Lloyd simply nodded slowly, and the pirates came in to unchain the others.

“Hey, Kai,” Nya nudged her brother as they followed the others out of the cell. “Captain Walker said they have Garmadon’s son chained up with _vengestone_. Do you know what that is?”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Kai shook his head.

“It’s an ancient metal once used by the Overlord to cancel out the powers of the First Spinjitzu Master,” Harumi explained. “Lloyd’s powers will not work while he is bound by the chains.”

Cole’s eyes widened. “He has _powers_?”

Harumi nodded. “And if it had not been for Captain Walker intervening in that fight in the street, Lloyd would have floored us all in an instant.” She looked around before leaning in closer to Kai and Nya. “Skylor has powers too, but I’m not sure what they are. That’s a major reason why she is one of the most dangerous women alive, not just because she’s Chen’s daughter.”

“Captain has powers as well,” Flintlocke’s voice startled the group, but he continued. “He’s been able to control the element of lightning since he was a little boy. He used it for a lot of messed up stuff back then, which is a pretty big reason why he became a pirate in the first place. He has nowhere left to run to.”

“So we have _three_ elementals on this crew?” Kai’s eyebrows rose. “Maybe we could stand a chance after all.”

“That is, only if Lloyd and Skylor actually _want_ to help us,” Cole pointed out. “They’re both cold blooded killers for all I care, and I don’t need to see it to believe it.”

“Well, while you four are onboard the ship, the captain wants you to make yourself useful,” Flintlocke caught the others’ attention, handing a mop to each Kai, Cole, Nya, and Harumi. “Scrubba-dub-dub.”

* * *

“Emperor Garmadon, my lord!” Samukai entered the room with his head bowed low in respect for his master, leading several soldiers behind him. “Mr. E’s raid may have appeared unsuccessful, but we have found valuable data.”

**“And what is this data you have found?”** Garmadon sat unamused with his eyes half-lidded and his expression grim.

“Lloyd is, in fact, onboard,” Samukai spoke, watching Garmadon’s face lift. “That pirate Jay Walker has him imprisoned in a holding cell aboard his ship, _Misfortune’s Keep._ But, my lord, Walker has more prisoners that would be valuable to you.”

**“Just spit it out; you overdramatize everything.”**

“Princess Harumi is being held onboard as well.”

Garmadon began to sit up straighter in his throne, his eyes widening and his composure growing stronger. **“With her parents killed, that princess poses the only great threat to my rule. Bring her _and_ Lloyd to me. Quickly!”**

“Y-yes, my lord, but there is one more thing!” Samukai stuttered as he began to back away. “Chen’s daughter is imprisoned there as well.”

Garmadon’s face shifted once more. The memories of that man came flooding back like a haunting shadow, and he shook them off. **“I care not for that man, nor his daughter. Kill her, if you have to.”**

“Yes, my Emperor.”


	2. Wisdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo wassup guys, sorry it took so long to update this fic, but y'know how it is. Hoping to bring this to at least 8 total chapters, but it could become more.

Nya woke early in the morning as the sun shone through the window of the small bedroom Captain Walker had given to her. The pirate had surprisingly shown much care and concern for her comfort during the night, ensuring that his men provided the best sheets and mattresses for Nya’s bed. The food Captain Walker had shared with Nya, Kai, and their new friends had been amazing, better than anything the girl had tasted, especially since food had been rather scarce back home.

Garmadon had made just about everything scarce.

Nya dressed herself in the blue dress that had been left for her beside the bed, and she left the room in the direction of her brother. She found him on the deck, looking out into the distance.

“Hey,” Nya whispered as she walked over to stand beside him.

“Hey.” Kai didn’t look at Nya, but his composure seemed to soften in her company. 

“How long have you been out here, huh?”

“A while.” Kai continued to stare off at the sky. “The sunrise is beautiful up here. Never imagined being stuck on a flying pirate ship would gift such a view.”

“We’re not exactly s _tuck_ , Kai…”

“Nya, don’t let that stupid pirate captain trick you into thinking he’s saved us!” Kai finally turned to look at his sister, his face growing red with anger. “If it hadn’t been for him, we’d still be home, and we wouldn’t be stuck in this mess with Princess Harumi and Garmadon’s own fricking son!”

Nya looked at Kai in bewilderment. “We stepped in to stop Skylor from kidnapping the princess because it was the right thing to do. _You_ were the one who leaped into the fight first, don’t you remember? I know you may not like Captain Walker, but it’s a lot better that Princess Harumi and Lloyd are here and not on Chen’s Island or something. If that man had Garmadon’s son, the whole country would feel his rage. Not to mention, the princess is innocent and didn’t deserve this!”

“You and that _Captain Walker_ ,” Kai rolled his eyes. 

Nya scoffed. “And what of him?”

“He’s a _pirate,_ does anything more need to be said?” Kai looked Nya in the eye. “He may have fed you and given you a bedroom and told you that you are safe with him, but you’re not! It’s clear that his only intentions are keeping all of us prisoners onboard as leverage in case Garmadon finally catches up to him. Either way, Garmadon’s rage _will_ find us.” Kai finally sighed and began to walk away towards the cabin. “I can’t make your decisions for you, but I’m not gonna stick around and watch my sister fall victim to a pirate’s tricks!”

With that, Kai stormed off, leaving Nya alone and perplexed.

“Kai? Kai!”

* * *

Lloyd sat alone in the dungeon room, his wrists growing tired and worn from the strong vengestone chains that bound his arms together. This entire occurrence had put a major roadblock in his path. He had just been sent to eliminate a disturbance in the city, as usual, not knowing that Princess Harumi, the girl his father had been searching for for months was right there for him to catch.

That girl Skylor had always been a pain in Lloyd’s side since he first met her in combat, and _of course_ she just had to be the one there to make things difficult. The _civilians_ had only further complicated the matter.

Now he was trapped here in chains, surrounded by scummy pirates who held a false belief that they would somehow be able to outrun Lloyd’s father. _No one_ had escaped Emperor Garmadon’s wrath before, and none would change that.

Now it was only a matter of time and patience until Lloyd would finally be free of these tiresome people. 

“Hey, Blonde Boy,” Skylor’s voice rang into the cell like poison, causing Lloyd to shudder in her presence. Somehow she had managed to stand there in the doorway while he thought, and he hadn’t realized. Lloyd always hated how good she was at sneaking around.

“Go away,” Lloyd snapped back with as much venom in his voice as he could muster, hoping to aggravate her enough to get her to leave.

“I was just wondering,” Skylor started, ignoring Lloyd’s comment entirely. “What are you gonna do to get out of _this one_?” She tapped her forehead as she mocked him. “I mean, you’re away from home with a bunch of pirates, and _yours truly_ , not to mention you’re chained up with vengestone so your powers don’t work, aaaaaand…” She smirked. “You’re a long way away from daddy.”

Lloyd glared at Skylor, his green eyes practically glowing with irritation. 

“So I really am interested in knowing how you’re gonna get out of this,” Skylor repeated. “I’ve heard the stories before – I’ve _seen_ you in action. You are about as stubborn as your father, which means you have a knack for _always_ winning in one way or another, whether your opponent realizes it or not.”

“What’s it to you?” Lloyd finally asked, gaining a shrug from the redhead.

“I’m just bored, and quite frankly you’re the least boring person on this ship, which I never imagined would be the case,” Skylor teased. “I saw how you looked when those simple _villagers_ were unchained and left to freely roam the ship. Meanwhile, _powerful_ people like us are left to rot away behind bars.”

“You know _nothing_ of power, especially when you compare yourself to me and my father,” Lloyd snapped, looking Skylor dead-on. “You got your power because of your _mother_ , not by anything you did to earn it.”

“That’s what you call your power?” Skylor looked at Lloyd in disbelief. “Earned? Please, you play the part and do what daddy says, but deep down I can see that you really aren’t the same dark, heartless warlord material he is. You often show _mercy,_ something your father would never demonstrate.”

“Do not question my methods!”

“Why aren’t your eyes red, huh?” Skylor’s question summoned a long silence into the room, leaving Lloyd to ponder his answer.

So he didn’t answer. “What?”

“You heard me,” Skylor folded her arms. “Why are your eyes not red? They’re green! If the same evil that flowed through your father flowed through you, your eyes would be the same as his.”

“I…I don’t know!” Lloyd yelled angrily.

“What’s that?”

“I don’t _know!_ ” Lloyd nearly screamed, his eyes beginning to actually glow and his arms began to tighten as the vengestone resisted his power.

Skylor stumbled back in a bit of fear, before smirking and turning to exit the room. “Well, Lloyd, it’s been fun but I see now that you may need some alone time to chill out. I’m gonna go explore the ship. Y’know, cuz I’m not in a cell.”

Lloyd glared at Skylor the entire time as she finally left and faded from view.

* * *

“Drop the anchor!” Captain Walker called as the _Keep_ finally stopped above a series of tall jagged mountains. The clouds obstructed most of the view, but it was clear that they were far from civilization.

“Where has that fool taken us now?” Kai asked as he looked around. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“At least maybe then we can’t be found easily?” Nya offered.

“Guys, look!” Cole pointed into the distance at a building on top of one of the mountains. The colors of red and gold could be made out through the clouds and fog. “Maybe we’re not in the middle of nowhere after all.”

“Let’s go, everyone,” Captain Walker spoke as he walked onto the deck. “The _Keep c_ an’t get any closer without hitting the mountains so we’ll have to get over there on foot.”

“And _why_ again are we here?” Kai asked.

Captain Walker smirked, and said nothing as he began to make his way down the ladder.

Nya went soon after him, and Kai followed begrudgingly. 

Walker knocked on the door of the building several times, and they all waited for several minutes before the doors opened. An old man with a long white beard and flat hat greeted them with a confused and also terrified look.

“Jay Walker?”

“It’s _Captain_ Walker, Wu,” the pirate sighed, shaking his head.

“Oh, right.” Wu looked at the group with wonder. “And why are you here? I thought you told me you no longer desired my help.”

“I said that not knowing that I would one day come across such an interesting batch of prisoners,” Walker gestured to Kai, Cole, Nya, and Harumi. “Just wait until you hear who else I have back on the ship.”

“Is that…Princess Harumi?” Wu’s eyes widened, and he bowed, taking the girl by surprise. “Your majesty, it is a great honor that I am in your presence.”

“P-please,” Harumi shook her head. “No need for formalities here, sir.”

“Well, why is it that you are here?” Wu asked with great surprise and shock. “Most of Ninjago’s people had been led to believe you had been lost along with your parents.”

“Which is what I wanted people to continue believing,” Harumi nodded. “Garmadon is intent on destroying any root of my father’s royal house, since I still am the rightful heir to the throne. I had to ‘play dead’, if you will, so that it would be more difficult for Garmadon’s forces to find me.”

“Wu,” Captain Walker looked at the old man with seriousness. “We have your nephew onboard my ship.”

Wu’s eyes widened in fear. “Lloyd???”

“He’s chained up in vengestone!” Captain Walker assured the man. “He cannot escape, you can be sure of that. My men found him in the streets along with the princess, these civilians, and Skylor Chen, who apparently had been sent to kidnap Princess Harumi. We have her as well.”

“Well,” Wu laughed nervously. “It definitely is good fortune that you were able to put a stop to Lloyd and Skylor’s conquests, but…” Wu sighed. “I’m afraid this will only put a price on your head, Mr. Walker.”

“Yeah, we got the memo,” Cole groaned. “One of Garmadon’s top assassins attacked us the other day and tried to kill us all.”

“I lost many men,” Captain Walker nodded.

“Well then, the only thing we can do for now is hide these people you have taken aboard your ship, Walker,” Wu explained. “There’s nothing else we can do but that. If you wish, I can take care of the princess here for a while.”

“I don’t know…” Captain Walker shrugged. “I’m doing what I can, but neither of us can actually _hide_ her from Garmadon for that long. Until someone finally dethrones that monster, Harumi’s gonna have to be on the run.”

Wu nodded. “And she may have to be on the run for the rest of her life if someone doesn’t.”

“Yeah, and that life could be really short if we don’t do something about it,” Skylor walked up behind the group, and they all stepped back in defense, readying themselves.

“You…how did you get off the ship?” Captain Walker explained.

“And her wrists aren’t chained,” Kai realized with wide, worried eyes. “Wasn’t she the one with unseen powers that made her, like, the most dangerous woman in the country or something?”

“ _One_ of, I said,” Walker corrected.

“Doesn’t make it any better!”

Skylor watched this interaction with a smirk, placing her hands on her hips. “Sorry, Captain, but when I recognized the place we stopped at, I couldn’t resist tagging along. And the chains? You had ‘em on wrong. It’s low wrists, not any higher or it doesn’t cancel powers. Just a tip.”

“So…you’ve been able to use your powers but…you didn’t?” Cole asked, quite confused.

“Trust me, it took _all_ my restraint, especially with the princess and Lloyd onboard…” Skylor started, watching Harumi back away further behind Cole. “But I realized Garmadon’s gonna try to kill us all anyways, and I hate the guy too, believe it or not. So consider me your new business partner.”

“And what business would that be?” Walker asked.

“Professional Garmadon Killer,” Skylor chuckled at her own joke. “Or PGK, for short. I’ll help you protect the princess and even keep Lloyd hidden away, just as long as I get to help kick Garmadon’s-“

“Alright, we get it!” Kai raised his arms in surrender. “We believe you, we trust you, all that gooey stuff, blah blah blah. Deal. Contact signed.”

Walker scoffed. “You realize _I_ am the captain…”

“You trust me,” Skylor smirked as she looked back at Walker. “Don’t you? After all, I didn’t kill you when I had the chance.”

“And she pointed out your error with binding her wrists,” Cole pointed out. “If she really wanted to kill us, she would have. I mean, Princess Harumi _and_ Lloyd? That would be a Thanksgiving feast for Chen.”

“Alright,” Walker sighed. “Just how exactly do you plan on killing Garmadon?”

“Come inside and I’ll show you,” Wu spoke, leading them inside.

Wu led the group into a back room where a large cloth was laid over the wall. Wu grabbed a handful of dust from a jar and threw it at the wall, and it seemed to activate some sort of visual spell over the visitors.

“There is an ancient power that once brought life and peace, as well as creation to this world,” Wu explained as images on the cloth illustrated what he said. “A power of gold, one that housed itself only in the purest of hearts. Once, before darkness had fallen, the golden power offered itself to many different people, those of pure hearts who used their abilities for the good of mankind.”

“It wasn’t only used by the good guys, if I remember correctly,” Captain Walker folded his arms, and his face seemed to tell of a past encounter of his.

“Yes,” Wu sighed. “As they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and a few souls who were gifted the Golden Power over the past several centuries sought to use it for their own selfish gain, resulting in the slavery and destruction of many Ninjagians.”

“Does Garmadon have the Golden Power?” Cole asked. “He had to have had some really insane abilities to take over the country as quickly as he did.”

“Good observation, Cole, but no the power that Garmadon possesses is not from the side of good, and from some people’s perspective it isn’t even from the side of evil. Just completely unlimited, uncontrolled, wild power that Garmadon has used so recklessly since the day he obtained it.” Wu hung his head low and stood up, and the visions on the wall disappeared. “Very few elemental powers have proved to be a match for his. And now that most of the elements have not yet returned to Ninjago in new hosts, I feared no one would truly be able to stand up to Garmadon’s firm rule.” Then the elderly man smiled, the smile of one who had waited far too long for a small fleeting hope. “Until now.”

A silence filled the room as everyone sat pondering what Wu was saying. “Wait,” Nya started, sitting up straighter now as she leaned in closer to where Wu stood. “You mean the elements _have r_ eturned?”

Wu nodded. “Yes, I believe so with every part of my being, Nya.” He grabbed a staff from a rack on the wall and looked it over closely, appreciating the dark bamboo and clever craftsmanship of his oldest tool.

“How did you-“ Nya asked, wide eyed, before Kai jumped in with defensive surprise.

“How do you know my sister’s name???” Kai nearly yelled, looking as if he were ready to pounce and throw the old man to the floor. “Since we got here, no one has explained who you even are!”

“I am Wu,” the man spoke simply, “and that is all I am. I live here alone in the mountains where it is peaceful and quiet, and where Garmadon’s dark cloud of terror has not yet reached. I meditate daily with hope that one day I would possess answers to my many questions, and be given the privilege of bringing up new masters.”

“New masters?” Kai asked, dumbfounded.

“You,” Wu spoke with a kind smile, placing his staff at the length of Kai’s left shoulder, then his right. “And you,” Cole’s shoulders came next, and to the others’ surprise he knelt in honor as Wu did so. “And you,” Wu moved to Nya, who trembled gently under Wu’s presence, but smiled all the same despite the insane and tremendously strange nature of this scene.

“And you-“ Wu moved to place his staff on Captain Walker’s shoulders, but instead was forced back by the reluctant pirate.

“Not me, Wu,” Walker scowled, yet a small fear could be seen in his scared eyes. “I’m a pirate, not some _prophesized elemental savior_ that you’ve been searching for.”

“You’ve been gifted with an amazing power,” Wu tried to explain, to no avail.

“Yes, one that I’ve only used in dire emergencies, Wu, and you know why?” Walked stepped closer to Wu, and it seemed as if everyone still seated were holding their breaths all along. 

“No, I do not,” Wu shook his head. “Your powers _should_ be used, because they were given so you could help those who cannot help themsel-“

“I’ve killed people, Wu!” Walked cut the man off, stepping even closer until only a few inches separated Wu from the pirate captain’s rageful face. “I couldn’t control my powers, and I brought down a horrible storm upon an innocent village full of people who did nothing wrong!” Walked shut his eyes tight, as if he were afraid that any tears would fall in front of everyone. “What you ask of me – to use my powers to fight in a large scale war – is impossible. I won’t do it.”

The tense atmosphere hung longer than anyone wanted, and within a few moments the group had begun to leave the Monastery, while those who Wu had touched with his staff lingered behind curiously. Despite clearly being shaken up by Captain Walker’s outburst, Wu smiled widely at Kai, Cole, and Nya’s interest, and beckoned them closer.

“I have seen it in my visions, young ones,” Wu nodded slowly, looking at each of them individually. “You were not brought together by any mere accident. Each of you possesses a power so great that could make you titans in this world. The elemental powers flow strong through you all, stronger than any master I have before encountered.”

“But how do we use our powers?” Nya asked excitedly. “I’ve never been able to do anything extraordinary in my whole life. I’m just a plain, normal girl from the poor parts of the city.”

“Power often bestows itself to those who think they have none,” Wu explained. “To those who are of a good heart…compassionate and loving. Selfless.”

“What do we need to do?” Kai asked.

“Continue down this path that Captain Walker has set for you, and you will in time find your inner strength,” Wu looked at each of them gently. “You must look out for each other, as a _team._ You function and behave as one.”

“How are we going to face someone like Garmadon, even with our powers?” Nya asked sadly. “Captain Walker is trying to get a _way_ from Garmadon. How can you say that following him will lead us down the right path?”

“I cannot tell you that, but you must trust what I am telling you,” Wu patted Nya’s shoulder with his hand. “I have great faith in you all.”

After a long silence and time of pondering, Cole spoke up. “I trust you, Wu.”

“I trust you too,” Nya smiled nervously. “Whatever you say.”

Kai watched his sister pledge herself to this stranger’s plans, and folded his arms in frustration. 

“Kai…?” Nya spoke softly, looking at him with worry.

“I…yeah, whatever, I trust you,” Kai finally mumbled, and with that Wu let out a pleased and quite relieved laugh.

“Then I have done my part,” the old man smiled, standing away from them. “Go now, and pursue this new mission with Captain Walker. Learn to trust _him_ too.”

As the three newly dubbed “masters” walked out of the Monastery, Kai shook his head in disbelief. “Now, that I will never do.”

“Oh, and one more thing!” Wu’s voice rang out to them, and they turned to meet him one last time. “I will come to aid you once your journey is complete. I look forward to reuniting with all seven of you.”

With that Wu suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the three standing with wide eyes. 

“Seven???” Kai asked in confusion. “There’s four more of us?”

“Hopefully not four more of _you_ , Kai, because just one has been more than enough to give me a headache,” Nya shook her head with a sigh.


	3. Island

The next few days were filled with continuous travel as the crew of _Misfortune’s Keep_ flew further and further away from Ninjago. Now all that could be seen for hours was clear water below them, while the large variety of sea life swam around mindlessly, not having to worry about the shadow of evil like the legions of men did.

Kai, Nya, and Cole began to meditate once a day in the hold of the ship, hoping to get any kind of sign of what powers they possessed. Still, nothing came to them.

Lloyd was held in his cell all day long as usual, while food was brought in to him whenever it seemed necessary to keep him from starving. Skylor would still come down to tease him, but eventually Captain Walker convinced her not to give him any more reason to kill everyone aboard the _Keep_ if he ever got the chance. The redhead simply shrugged and went on to do whatever she usually did, which was often just playing with knives in Walker’s personal weapons hold.

“You know Skylor is probably one of the four other masters, right?” Cole spoke up one day during meditation, breaking the siblings’ concentration as well. “I mean, she clearly has some kind of ‘unspoken power’ that she hasn’t used in front of us yet, and like Wu said, an Elemental Master isn’t always a good person by default.”

“We are _not_ working with her,” Kai growled, shooting a dirty look at Cole. “She’s a psychopath. A _murderer._ If she wasn’t so _amused_ with us, we would have been her new victims days ago. Captain Walker is letting her walk _freely_ on the ship, and no one else is even a bit concerned?”

“We all promised Wu that we trusted him, and if Skylor really is the fourth master, we _need_ to convince her to join us,” Nya pointed out, feeling rather uncomfortable under Kai’s angry composure. “Anyone can change for the better.”

“Even Lloyd?” Cole snickered.

“Oh don’t even remind me,” Kai groaned. “I swear, if we have to work with _him_ too…”

“We probably will, Kai,” Nya shrugged, trying her best to appear as if none of this effected her. “We need to trust what Wu has told us.”

“You expect that he would actually join forces with a bunch of _strangers_ on a crazy mission to kill his own father???” Kai threw his hands up into the air and stood up, starting to walk away. “Now you’re both starting to sound way too much like that stupid old man. A bunch of fairytales won’t change the fact that Lloyd and Skylor will _never_ help us.”

“Kai…” Nya stretched out an arm to stop her brother, but Cole brought it back down to her side. 

“It’s okay, Nya, your brother just prefers a little more evidence before he believes something,” Cole spoke with a kind smile. “He’ll take time, but I think he can do it.”

“I sure hope so,” Nya sighed.

“Captain, we have a problem,” Flintlocke spoke as he entered Walker’s quarters. “The navigations computer has been tampered with.”

“By who?” Walker stood up immediately, grabbing his sword from his desk. 

“I’m not sure, sir, and there’s no way to even check where we are,” Flintlocke scratched the back of his neck as he spoke. “The anchor has already been dropped.”

“What?” Walker stormed out of his quarters quickly, walking out onto the deck as he observed the surroundings. Lush green forests seemed to drag on for miles and miles, and a white sandy beach rested beneath where the _Keep_ maintained its flight in one place.

“Some kind of island, Captain,” Flintlocke nodded. “Not one I’ve seen before.”

“It’s massive,” Walker shook his head in disbelief. “We were supposed to be headed towards Astor. For all we know, we could have been completely course-shifted.”

“Captain, look out!” Flintlocke screamed as he threw Walker to the floor, and a wave of bullets flew right over their heads. 

Walker finally got a good look at the attackers that approached them in helicopters, and his eyes widened. “Anacondrai Cultists!”

The crew went to work trying to regain controls of the ship, only to find that everything had been locked down. Even the engines could not be adjusted. They were sitting ducks on the ship, with nowhere to go.

As more gunfire fell down on the ship like hail, Kai, Cole, and Nya came up to the deck in fear, only now realizing what was happening. More gunfire whizzed by as they ducked for cover, and the ship jostled around from the impact of the attacks.

“Someone tell them we surrender or something!” Cole shouted.

“These aren’t the kind of people who take prisoners, Cole,” Walker shook his head in frustration. “We came to their territory, and now they’re going to kill us all.”

“Use your powers!” Nya pointed out hopefully, only to see the captain shake his head violently.

“No! I won’t-“

Walker was cut off as a missile shot towards the _Keep_ and sent the crew flying off the deck and into the air. Everything went black after that.

* * *

_“Hooga, hooga, hooga, hooga.”_

Ancient chanting rang in Nya’s ears as she finally woke, and the girl gasped as she realized her surroundings. Everyone who had been onboard the _Keep_ were tied up in a room made of stone, where lines of men all wearing skulls for helmets and bearing purple tattoos on all over their bodies stood chanting with their eyes shut tight.

Finally the chanting stopped, and Nya’s attention was captured by a man seated in a large throne.

“Captain Walker,” the man spoke loudly, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. “I had thought I warned you not to return to this island, or else I would not show mercy as I did then.”

“It was not of my knowledge or choice that we came here,” Walker pleaded, hanging his head low.

“You are the captain of your ship, correct?” The man continued to speak, and Walker seemed to tense even more. “How is it that you have come here without your knowledge?”

“Our navigations were tampered with,” Flintlocke spoke up, struggling against the ropes that held him against the wall. “We weren’t even trying to come this way.”

“It had to have been…” Kai trailed off, looking around the room. “Wait, Skylor isn’t here!”

“Good deduction, my boy,” the man smiled wickedly, gesturing for a figure beside him to step forward. Sure enough, there was Skylor, now wearing a black kimono with red details along the edges. She smirked at Walker and the others, twirling a knife in her hand as she always did.

“I believe you have gotten to know my daughter a bit by now, I assume?” the man rested a hand on Skylor’s back, rubbing it gently. “I truly must admire the talent and genius of her success here today. Oh, Skylor my ever faithful daughter, you have brought me much more than I could have hoped for!”

Lloyd was forcefully pulled in by chain, thrown to the ground at the man’s feet. Harumi was pulled in afterwards and placed beside Garmadon’s fallen son.

“Not only have I gotten my hands on Princess Harumi of Ninjago, truly an incredibly valuable specimen, but also _Lloyd Garmadon_?” The man smiled widely. “This must be my birthday because look at these presents! I will have much use for the both of you…”

“My father should have killed you when he had the chance all those years ago, Chen,” Lloyd gritted his teeth. “You’re nothing more than a grown man playing house with your little cultist servants and a slave that you call your daughter.”

Chen leaned back in amusement, kicking his foot into Lloyd’s head lightly. “Bold of you to call me and my people such things when you yourself are imprisoned here. Maybe _you_ are a slave to your father. Do not speak such harsh words to my daughter.”

Skylor simply stood there, looking quite content as she watched this unfold. “Father, despite your hatred towards Garmadon, I have gotten to know Lloyd well enough to assure you that he is nothing like his father. His eyes glow green.”

Chen’s eyes widened in greed and evil. “What a _disappointment_ you must be to your father, boy. I bet he is too ashamed to come for you because of how bad you make him look.” Chen swung his head back in enjoyment, watching Lloyd’s face grow more and more angry. “Do not worry, however, for I am a far more _accepting_ parent. Maybe with some training you could become a great asset to me like my dear Skylor.”

“We don’t care about Lloyd, Chen , you can have him,” Walker groaned against the ropes. “Please, just take him and we’ll be on our way.”

“And I assume you’ll be taking the fair princess with you?” Chen rolled his eyes with a mocking laugh. “Not a chance, Captain. I’ve been waiting years for something to hold an offense against Garmadon, and you’ve given me _two_ certain people who I know Garmadon will be _dying_ to get to.”

“Then you can take her too,” Walker spoke reluctantly. “Just please let us go, and I promise we will never return to your island.”

“How could you say that?” Cole shot angrily. “Princess Harumi is innocent, she doesn’t deserve this.”

Chen watched this unfold with a smug grin. “Cultists, take the princess to the dressing room to be refitted with a new outfit. I’m sure Skylor can make a few suggestions. I want the princess and Lloyd chained at the ankles, and not with much room to separate. With such fortunate gifts, I musn’t let them free to escape.”

Lloyd fought back as the cultists locked the cuffs around his ankle, but couldn’t do much to resist. Harumi cried in terror at it all, at this horrible place it seemed she would possibly spend the rest of her life in. Oh, how she longed to be back in the palace, in the comfort of her own home where she felt safe and warm. 

Now here she was in the home of a terrible crime lord and his daughter, chained at the ankles with Garmadon’s own son, and probably soon to be made some kind of servant girl for Chen’s own pleasure. The thought disgusted her.

“PLEASE, NO!” Harumi screamed, shuddering around as cultists grabbed her and Lloyd and began dragging them away, to a fate that seemed inescapable. “Please, I just wanna go _home_!”

“This will be your new home, my poor princess,” Chen spoke with mock pity. “Here, your new life begins!”

As the sounds of Harumi screaming and Lloyd struggling faded away into the next room, Walker and the others stood petrified, unable to do anything but await their own fate.

* * *

Harumi was dressed in a black outfit much like Skylor’s, and her long white hair fell freely now past her shoulders. Her face was void of makeup of any kind, and now everyone could see her as an insignificant girl who once had been princess and now was a servant.

Lloyd continued to struggle to break free of the vengestone chains, but nothing would work. He and Harumi were bound to each other and neither had the ability to fix this problem.

Soon after Harumi was changed into her new clothes, Lloyd and Harumi were thrown into a dungeon cell, this one much drearier and murky than the one on the _Keep._ The door was sealed shut, much like their fates, and Harumi cried softly in the corner while Lloyd sat with blank expression, simply staring at the door while thoughts ran through his mind.

Finally the crying stopped and no sound could be heard except for the faint chanting outside. Harumi’s breaths were shaky and her eyes appeared puffy but she managed to regain her composure and sat much like Lloyd did, with her expression blank.

The cell was cold, colder than any room Harumi had even been in. The stone walls of the cell appeared to be centuries old. The chains around Harumi’s ankle had begun to somewhat hurt her.

“I’m sorry,” Lloyd’s sudden voice caused Harumi to scoot back in surprise, and her eyes widened before finally gathering the strength to speak.

“What?”

“I’m sorry that you’re in this place,” Lloyd spoke, with a genuine honesty that Harumi had never heard from him before. “I don’t think even my father would have treated you so badly if he had gotten you instead.”

“Must I always be handled by _someone_?” Harumi whined softly.

“I had intended to handle you myself,” Lloyd explained, still staring at the door. “I would have ensured that my father treated you as I requested, and that you could still live an enjoyable life, despite being under his rule.”

“Why…” Harumi choked on the musky air. “Why would you care about my own comfort?”

Lloyd froze, clearly not sure how to respond and Harumi couldn’t help but give a small smile. Maybe he wasn’t exactly as horrible as she had made him out to be. His sudden apology and moment of honesty truly flattered the young princess, and she blushed.

“Not everyone deserves my father’s wrath,” Lloyd finally spoke again. “Your very existence poses a threat to his rule since you live as the rightful heir to the throne, but…that’s not really your fault. You’re just a princess who would have become queen, and you never meant any threat to my father by being born for the throne. It is only unfortunate that you had to be born for this new rule.”

“I…I’m thankful that you truly do care about what’s fair and right,” Harumi sighed in relief, and almost joy. “Not many men with as much power and leverage as you actually can see beyond their own advantage.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Lloyd spoke drearily, shaking his head. “Chen is a terrible man. He may be stupid, but he knows how to use power to get what he wants. As long as we’re of use to him, he’ll keep us here to do whatever he wants with us.”

“I do not wish to be his servant,” Harumi almost wailed, grabbing Lloyd’s arm by instinct, surprisingly not letting go. “What if he tries to…use me?” The princess would have tensed back and apologized for clutching him, but the thought of what tomorrow would bring frightened her,

Lloyd sat quiet for a while before sighing. “I won’t let him.”

Their faces, dimly lit by the thin rays of light seeping in through the bars of the cell door, began to relax despite the small pain that lingered from the shoving – and of course their seating was quite uncomfortable – but both figures began to sway gently back and forth as their eyelids grew heavy and then they rested their heads on the cold stone as sleep overcame them.

* * *

“What a fine mess you’ve gotten us into this time, Captain,” Flintlocke mused as he, along with the rest who weren’t pulled off by Chen’s cultists, worked hard at repairing old machinery in Chen’s uncleaned, unpreserved, and untreated noodle factory. Yet, such a disgusting place bore much importance to Chen at this time, and the noodles produced here served a major role in keeping Chen’s money growing and his power even more so. 

“Which was worse?” Flintlocke went on, attempting to fasten a screw with a screwdriver that quite clearly wasn’t a fit but the cultists insisted he use it anyway. “Getting captured by Chen and losing three valuable prisoners, or smelling horrible for weeks after that gutted fish was thrown at us by those northern pirates? You know, that huge fish that you just _had_ to take?”

“I get it, Flintlocke, and truthfully I’d rather smell like dead giant fish for a _lifetime_ than be imprisoned in this place for eternity,” Walker sighed drearily as he stood beside Flintlocke, holding the other tools that had been provided (all of which, of course, were wrong fits as well). “We had Garmadon’s son, Chen’s daughter, and the Princess of Ninjago practically placed in our hands by the way of destiny, I can only believe, and now all of that is gone. We should have never stopped at Wu’s place at all, all we did was waste time anyways.”

Kai stood staring at the captain with frustration and literal disbelief at his character, but Walker couldn’t see from behind him where Kai aided Nya and Cole with operating the belt. 

“I see your look, Kai,” Nya spoke up, not looking away from her work. “You might as well get to work so we’re not gonna have to do this _all day,_ especially since you’re gonna have to put up with Captain Walker anyway.”

“He’s acting all sad because all of his good luck has gone away, and yet what is he doing about it, huh?” Kai rolled his eyes. “Complaining, and nothing more.”

“Honestly?” Cole spoke up, looking Kai straight in the eye. “I couldn’t care less about your crap, Kai. You’re a good guy from what I’ve gotten to know these past few days I’ve known you, but you’re such a _pain,_ y’know that?” Before Kai could open his mouth, Cole shook his head and cut him off. “At least Walker is focusing on what must be done now, not just standing there doing nothing like you.”

“Wanna say that again?”

“I would, but I’m not sure you’d actually pay attention.”

“Enough!” Nya yelled, shoving her shoulder into Kai so she could forcefully push him back. “Look at us, we’re all losing hope! It’s only been a matter of hours and look how you’re behaving! Arguing like kids!”

“Blame Skylor for that,” Kai grumbled, clearly having grown an even greater distaste for the woman. “I told Walker to keep her chained up, but he didn’t listen! He literally handed Skylor everything she needed, and now with Lloyd and Princess Harumi as her prisoners, she has enough leverage against Garmadon to have herself set for life!” Kai sat down and rested his back against the wall, resting his head in his hands. “She tried making us think we could trust her, all so she could throw us in her dad’s smelly factory.”

* * *

Unknown to the crew of _Misfortune’s Keep,_ they were not the only visitors on the island. An imperial skycraft touched down on the sandy beachside, and several soldiers filed out. 

“This is the place, huh?” General Samukai snickered. “What a piece of _crap_. Just like the guy who owns it…” The Skulkin warrior led the others across the sand, towards the torch-lit paths that seemed to lead to whatever civilization Chen had set up. “Remember, boys, we’re here to take Garmadon’s son and the princess _alive._ You can kill anyone else we come across. You mess this up, and Garmadon will have your heads.”

As the group ventured through the forest, Killow spoke up. The large man carried a heavy cannon in his hands, walking behind the rest of the group. “General Samukai, do you even know what we’re going up against?”

“I have fought Chen’s cultists before, yes,” Samukai waved the question of dismissively.

“He has a lot of them,” Ultra Violet pointed out, shaking her head. The young assassin’s single long ponytail flopped around in the wind as she looked around. “That _Skylor_ girl though…sounds like she’s pretty tough.”

“An elemental master, no less,” Killow nodded. “Poor Mr. E didn’t fare too well against that lightning elemental the other day. That rust bucket is _still_ undergoing repairs.”

“Everyone shut up!” Samukai hissed, raising an arm to stop the group as he observed the surroundings. “It’s probably just wildlife, but be alert at all times. Chen is as clever as he is annoying.”


	4. Hopeless

_“You will be fully submissive.”_

_“You will obey your master’s commands.”_

_“You will not think for yourself.”_

_“You will not escape.”_

Harumi’s head had begun to spin from the long list of standards Chen set for his servant girls. Women dressed in pasty white face-paint read off the different requirements while the princess sat with her head in her hands, trying to block it all out.

As the last words were spoken, another woman grabbed Harumi by the arm and pulled her into a chair where she was forced to watch in the mirror as the same makeup was applied to her own face. The red lipstick, the white paint from her face down to her shoulders, the red lines above and around her facial features…

Finally, Harumi’s long white hair was forcefully tugged into a bun, and the girl was shoved out of the room with a fan in her hand and a scowl on her face.

Chen’s personal lounge was not unlike the palace that Harumi herself had grown up in – large red walls, huge pillars and exquisite furniture…Chen’s own seat was a long leather bed, with gold armrests and clearly expensive feather pillows. 

Harumi could only stand there, wishing for anything other than _this,_ while Chen looked at her, amused. “Good morning, Harumi. Why don’t you start the day by fanning me while I work?”

Harumi had only a handful of times been addressed personally as anything other than “princess” or “your highness.” Being called by her first name only took her by surprise, but it was clear that Chen didn’t _care_ if she used to be royalty or not. Now she was a servant girl, and nothing more. The thought forced a tear to shiver down Harumi’s cheek, but she brushed it away and took her place beside Chen’s bed, beginning to fan him.

From her position, Harumi had a full view of what Chen was viewing on his datapad. The man seemed to be scrolling down on a list of information, and then a group of pictures and articles. It only took a matter of seconds for Harumi to recognize herself in some of the photos.

“So you’ve been presumed dead, I see,” Chen’s voice rang in Harumi’s ear like a terrible bell. “Princess Harumi Shygami, age 19…blah blah blah…avid supporter of the _Royal Care Children’s Hospital?_ Boring!” Chen continued scrolling before smirking. “But this is quite interesting…you’re an only child, aren’t you?”

“Yes…yes, sir…ah, master,” Harumi mumbled, trying her best to maintain a consistent pace with her fanning. 

Chen chuckled. “So you were going to have the throne then? And that tyrant Garmadon stole it from you. You were so close.”

“I…I try not to think about it,” Harumi cleared her throat, straightening her posture and doing anything else to make herself look as natural as possible. “I believe that Garmadon will not hold the throne forever. Someone will stop him.”

“Indeed,” Chen nodded, standing up and motioning for Harumi to follow him over to a large window that overlooked the jungle and wilderness of the island. “You may not be too fond of me now, but what I am about to reveal to you may change your mind.” Chen grabbed a scroll with a series of symbols over it, unrolling the paper to show Harumi. “As you can see, these are the various images that represent the great elements of this realm. Fire, lightning, gravity, smoke, form…the whole set is right here. I believe you’ve been told about the Golden Power?”

“How did you-“

“Power of the Mind,” Chen tapped his forehead with a smirk, and Harumi finally looked down to see how his hand clenched his staff, which now seemed to glow a bit in response. “I’ve already captured various elements over the years. Some are less useful than others, sure, but it’s progress nonetheless.”

“What are you talking about?”

“My staff can capture the powers of any elemental master I come into contact with. However, I can’t just take power without knowing if someone actually has it, so that makes it tricky,” Chen stroked his goatee. “Your green friend Lloyd quite clearly has powers, but refuses to use them which is why I haven’t taken his, but we’ll get back to that in a bit. And I doubt you have powers…right?”

“What are you proposing anyway?” Harumi folded her arms.

“With enough powers, I can destroy Garmadon and take the throne back for you. After all, he only has one element against all of mine, right? And when you’ve taken the throne back, you will make _me_ Emperor by taking my hand in marriage.”

_Ew._

“No thanks,” Harumi tried to shrink back and somehow leave the room. “Besides, I don’t think my parents would approve.”

“They don’t have to,” Chen chuckled again, walking towards Harumi, his staff still in hand. “There is nothing in royal custom that requires the parents’ approval. Now, it’s either you accept my hand or I take your throne not only by destroying Garmadon but also by destroying your royal family. And trust me, sweetheart, that first option will spare a lot more blood.” As Harumi hung her head, Chen sneered. “I need a strong young Empress to provide me with a throne.”

“And here I was thinking I was your slave,” Harumi glared at Chen, before starting to storm off. She was quickly stopped by the other servant girls from before, who roughly pushed her down to the floor.

“Master is never denied,” one of them practically hissed, walking over to Chen with as much fake concern as she could muster. “Oh, Master Chen, we hadn’t realized you would be entrusting us to train such a _rebellious_ and _selfish_ girl.”

“I admire her fire,” Chen laughed, pushing the servant girl away. “That’s one more thing that makes her glow in my sight and stand out from simple servants like yourself.”

The woman gasped and pretended to start crying, but Chen simply raised his hand and had the woman taken away, probably to some dungeon, Harumi figured. 

“That’s the second kabuki dancer this week, father,” a familiar voice announced the arrival of that red-headed betrayer Harumi had just met a few days before. Skylor walked over to Chen’s side with her hands behind her back. “Keep it up and you will have to either get some more women to dance for you,” she turned to look at Harumi, “or make the ones you still have work even harder.”

“Good point, daughter, but I’m sure my new servant girl here will suffice for the rest of the day.”

Skylor’s eyes widened. “The rest of the day? Just her?”

“Well, I musn’t have _too much_ company beside me to spectate the interrogation of Garmadon’s son.” The excitement in Chen’s voice was evident; he was going to enjoy this way too much. “Bring him in to me! At once! And get Clouse!”

Harumi watched hopelessly as the other servant girls left the room, leaving her alone with Chen and Skylor. The next three minutes that before the servants came back felt like three hours.

At last, the doors swung open again, and Lloyd was dragged into the room in chains, and dropped roughly in front of Chen. A man dressed in purple and red followed close behind, holding a large book in his hands. Harumi squinted to read the title, but it was in a language she didn’t recognize. The man had a neat mustache and slick black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Dark circles under his eyes seemed to be applied by paint, not by tiredness.

Chen really had a thing for creepy looks, huh?

“Clouse, my faithful advisor,” Chen nodded with a smile, standing up to lightly kick Lloyd’s head as the boy remained on his knees on the floor. “I know you’ve been itching to start.”

“Nothing would please me more, master,” Clouse spoke in a nasally voice, “than to be the man responsible for the suffering of Garmadon’s son.”

“Oh, we’ll get to the suffering stuff, yeah, but don’t get ahead of yourself!” Chen laughed. “First we need to ask some questions.”

“Have you tested your book ahead of time?” Skylor asked.

“This spell book has existed long before your birth, child,” Clouse appeared offended, shaking his head. “Pages as ancient as these have been tested by time. I have confidence that every last spell works as it is supposed to.”

“Alright, alright, no need to get worked up over it,” Skylor rose her hands in defense, rolling her eyes. “Just do your magic and get this over with.”

 _“Cleo dar epitima hel triutala spechen…”_ Clouse’s words seemed to take on an echo-y form as he placed a hand on Lloyd’s head. The hand began to glow with a purple flame, and a low whirring sound seemed to come from it. 

Lloyd groaned and began to squirm under Clouse’s hold, but the spell quickly overtook him. As Clouse removed his hand, Lloyd fell into a sitting position and his head hung limp. 

“I have used the Spell of Arangadda,” Clouse shut the spell book and his hand returned to normal. “He will now be much more likely to tell the truth when answering your questions, Master Chen.”

“Excellent,” Chen smirked, reaching down to grab Lloyd’s chin and force his head up. Lloyd’s eyes opened weakly, and from where Harumi stood, she could see the small purple light in his pupils as his mind succumbed to the spell. 

“What is your father planning to do with the creatures he captured three months ago?”

“What?” Lloyd asked, narrowing his eyes. “My father doesn’t waste his time with hunting…”

“The Hounds of Abrishe, they were reportedly hunted down and taken by your father’s top warriors,” Clouse stated, folding his hands behind his back. “Apparently, that didn’t include you.”

The visible pain was evident; Harumi could tell that Lloyd would do everything to escape if he could. The spell was clearly very strong. 

“My father uses me as he sees fit,” Lloyd groaned out, straining from the invisible hold. “Besides, the hounds were just used in the gladiator arena, that’s it.”

“Gladiator arena?” Chen’s eyes lit up. “Say, maybe your father’s way of running the country isn’t entirely awful. Sounds fun. Where do you get your fighters from?”

The painful silence filled the room as Lloyd and Harumi locked eyes. They both knew the answer but Lloyd was both afraid to admit it and afraid of seeing Harumi’s expression.

_Too late for that._

“My father often takes the men from different villages he conquers and…throws them into the arena,” Lloyd hung his head. “Their only other choice is to join his army and become soldiers. Still, some refuse to submit.”

Harumi felt a deep pit in her stomach. The memories of having to gaze upon that horrible arena came flooding back to her – all the blood, all the screaming. She remembered fondly her father’s servant Dogma who had been taken for spying and was thrown into the arena. He was a good man, and unfortunately that kind of man had no place in Garmadon’s empire.

“Interesting,” Chen nodded. “And what about your heritage? I’m quite intrigued to know if you’re adopted.”

Lloyd looked at Chen confusedly. “I’m…I’m not.”

“You don’t resemble your father in any way,” Chen pointed out.

“In fact, I’d say you much more resemble your uncle, that foolish hermit who lives in the mountains alone,” Clouse smirked, leaning down to punch Lloyd in the gut. “Just look at you. You’re weak. I wonder why your eyes are green and not red like your father’s. Didn’t the First Spinjitzu Master have that same color?”

“Don’t speak of him!” Lloyd yelled, causing Clouse to step back.

“Why would you care?” Clouse laughed, beginning to pace back and forth. “He was a being of light.”

“He was a good man and nothing else!” Lloyd yelled, summoning yet another silence into the room. A humming noise by Chen was what followed.

“Shut up, Chen, _shut up._ ” Lloyd hissed under his breath, looking ready to spit in the man’s face. 

Harumi wanted to _leave._ She was afraid of Chen, afraid of Clouse and whatever horrible spells he had mastered, afraid of what Lloyd would do if Chen caused him to burst...

This princess wasn’t looking forward to the chaos that would inevitably ensue once Lloyd managed to snap at his captors. Lloyd seemed to be somewhat convulsing under the chains, and it was getting more noticeable by the second. Even Chen had started to step back, but he continued to scream in Lloyd’s ear and kick him until Skylor hurried to her father’s side and held him back.

“Father, have patience,” Skylor pleaded, her eyes widening as she looked back at the elemental pulsing on the ground by her feet. “I’ve seen his power, or at least what it seems to be. Last time he was chained in vengestone, his power still seemed to flow through him. His body nearly glowed and his eyes were-“

Skylor was cut off as Clouse held up Lloyd’s head by his hair, and the group nearly gasped at the pair of glowing green eyes that stared at them. There were no pupils, no irises; no, the entire shape of Lloyd’s eyes were completely filled with pulsing green light, and the glow seemed to be slowly spreading down his body. 

“This is...unlike anything I’ve ever seen!” Chen’s worry soon turned to excitement, grabbing his staff. “I haven’t seen an elemental power so raw and untamed since-“

“Father, wait!” Skylor groaned, holding his arm to gain his attention.

“Yes, Master Chen, absorbing an elemental’s power while in such an uncontrolled state could have...unforeseen consequences,” Clouse nodded, looking back over at Lloyd. “It seems his power is beginning to resist the vengestone; how, I am not yet sure.”

“Look it up in one of your books or something,” Chen rolled his eyes, but heeded the advice of his advisor. “I guess we’ll have plenty of time to take his power anyways. Harumi, my servant,” Chen waved the princess over. “I wish to be entertained while I wait for this boy to calm down from his sudden energy spike. Come, come!”

Harumi begrudgingly grabbed her fan and walked over to the floor in front of Chen and began to dance slowly with not a bit of experience. Chen seemed to notice this early on, but continued to watch her with amusement. “Too slow, servant girl, too slow!”

Harumi simply glared at Chen with disdain and continued what she was doing, albeit a little faster this time. She was really only swaying her hips slowly in rhythm as she tiptoed in circles with her arms flailing in a somewhat coherent pattern, but it at least appeased Chen enough that he hadn’t had her sent to a dungeon. Being a princess all of her life meant that Harumi at least had the graceful elegance and petite slender frame that most of Chen’s girls didn’t have nearly enough of, but she lacked the practice.

“Stop,” Chen finally said, and Harumi didn’t really blame him. She had run out of ideas.   
“You clearly haven’t done this before, so I’ll have to have someone teach you. I’ve already discarded one of my servant girls today, so hopefully whoever guides you is significantly good.” With an uninterested grunt, he shooed Harumi away.

Harumi resisted the urge to scoff at Chen’s childishness, as she noticed Skylor raise a finger to have the girl follow her out of the room. Harumi didn’t even hesitate this time, anything was better than sticking around with this sleemo.

* * *

Skylor led Harumi into a large empty room decorated with colorful walls and a soft matted floor. She motioned for the princess to sit down, and she did so quickly. 

“So, it seems you need a teacher, and unfortunately for you, the rest of the slave girls around here aren’t much better than you,” Skylor sighed, shaking her head. “But luckily, I have a lot more experience and I can teach you instead.” Then she proceeded to reach behind her head to undo her hair and let it flow down freely past her shoulders much like Harumi’s.

“I don’t get it,” Harumi blinked. “Why do you know so much about slave dances?”

“Cuz I practically used to be one,” Skylor answered simply and then pulled out a knife that she twirled around in her fingers. “It never mattered that I was Chen’s daughter. I was the offspring of just some random woman he had a short affair with just cuz she wanted his money. Right after I was born, Chen had my mother killed, and he really only kept me because he thought I would make a good dancing girl for him when I grew older.”

Harumi hadn’t even realized that Skylor stopped twirling the knife and her eyes glazed over as she seemed deep in thought on her unsettling memories. “Clouse practically raised me, but that isn’t saying a whole lot considering he did the bare minimum for me. So on the exact day I turned sixteen, my dad forced me to wear a stupid outfit and made me dance. Now I do something significantly more useful, so the story is over. Stand up and show me what you got.”

Harumi hesitated before nodding and getting to her feet. She spread out her arms and swayed back and forth as she really didn’t know what Skylor needed to see. 

“Hmm,” Skylor nodded, looking Harumi over. “You’ve definitely got the looks to fill the role of a slave girl.”

“Thanks?” Harumi rolled her eyes.

“No, no, my dad only picks the really pretty ones, so take it as a really weird but flattering compliment,” Skylor shrugged. 

“Skylor, I’m...” Harumi struggled to get her words out as the older woman kept prodding at her and moving her arms to a different position. “I’m sorry to hear that your life isn’t that great. No one deserves a wasted childhood.”

“Save the sugarcoating for diplomats, Princess,” Skylor shot as she finally finished adjusting Harumi’s legs and stepped back to look at her thoughtfully. “I do appreciate your compassion, but isn’t that what royalty _have_ to do so their people don’t feel unimportant?”

“I don’t think of it that way at all,” Harumi shook her head. “No one royal did anything to earn or deserve it. I may have been born in a palace with advisors and beautiful furniture, but as a person, I’m no more human or significant than you are.” Harumi noticed that Skylor had stopped looking her over, and was now looking at the floor in thought. 

“I’ve killed people,” Skylor argued, the three words slipping past her lips with a bit of venom.

“I know,” Harumi nodded solemnly. “And I don’t agree with your methods.”

“Good,” Skylor gave a little dark chuckle and continued to twirl her knife. “Now, start dancing, Princess, so we can see how much work we need to do.”


	5. Leverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Reader discretion: there are tame but somewhat detailed descriptions of blood and violence, and some content may be uncomfortable for sensitive readers. Be advised.)

Samukai felt like he had the biggest back ache ever, which was pretty impressive considering he was all bones. The group’s venture into Chen’s territory hadn’t been easy so far. Between reassessing their location and dealing with venomous snakes, everyone in the group was ready to just move on from the jungles and find Chen.

To make matters so much worse, Killow decided to take the opportunity to practice his vocal exercises in preparation for his weekly karaoke on weekends. His voice wasn’t bad – no, he sang like a true performer – but the volume with which Killow extended his voice was more than enough to ring in everyone’s ears.

“General Samukai,” Ultra Violet sighed as she came to walk beside the Skulkin. “If it isn’t of any issue to you, may I advise a quicker route to Chen’s palace?”

“A quicker route?” Samukai exclaimed, his bright red eyes widening. “Where has this been that I never noticed it?”

“Those birds,” Violet pointed at a pair of vultures flying through the sky. “I’m pretty sure they’re bird carriers, bringing information to and from the island. If we can catch one, I bet we can have it lead us to the palace.”

“How are you so sure that a captured fowl could lead the way for us?” Killow scoffed, finally pausing from his singing.

“I was trained for this, Killow,” Violet shot, rolling her eyes. “I know your eyesight may be worse than a blind dirt fish, but distance does not determine the actual size.” She pointed the tip of her dagger up towards one of the birds. “Those vultures are giants. At least, giants compared to normal birds.”

“So we can fly on them,” Samukai nodded. “Good idea, Ultra Violet. Now how are we gonna catch that bird?”

Violet giggled maniacally, placing her hands on her hips. “We only need someone to act as bait.”

* * *

Lloyd was really beginning to miss the cold, hard rock floor of his cell now that he was constantly dragged around by Chen like a dog. At least his cell was somewhere he could be miserable in _peace._ Now Lloyd was stuck being miserable in the constant presence of an idiot.

After his powers suddenly overflowed in such an unnatural way earlier that day, Lloyd was feeling a bit weaker than normal, and it was most likely due to the vengestone, he figured. He was still chained by hand and foot, forced to follow behind Chen or even be dragged if his captor wanted a good laugh.

Lloyd felt almost just as bad for Harumi. Sure, she wasn’t chained anymore, nor did she have to worry about nearly the same sort of physical abuse like being dragged across the floor, but she was stripped of everything she once was. Such a royal and quiet princess had been reduced to the role of a dancing girl, serving Chen whenever he demanded of her.

Lloyd and Harumi were both pulled around with Chen pretty much all day now until night, when they would both be thrown back in their cell together anyway. Lloyd was almost certain that Chen just liked the sense of power that came with having the princess and Garmadon’s son in both hands constantly, just to feed his own ego. 

Now, Chen had announced that he wanted to eat lunch, and so Harumi was sent off to fetch him some food while Lloyd was forced to stand chained by Chen’s side as the man sat. After a few minutes, Harumi walked back into the dining room with a dish in her hand, wearing that same emotionless, hopeless face that she always did now. She made quick eye contact with Lloyd, which only seemed to make her sadder. 

“Thank you, girl, what would I do without my beautiful slave princess?” Chen snickered, quickly digging into his meal. 

No one else was there in the room. Not even Clouse was without work these days, doing whatever he did, so there Chen ate by himself with his slave and prisoner by his side. 

Lloyd wanted so badly to deliver an exact message to Harumi through eye contact, letting her know exactly what he wanted to do so she would understand and help him. From his position, Lloyd could wrap the chains between his wrists around Chen’s neck and try choking him to death, but he would need Harumi’s help to hold the man back.

Lloyd looked over the girl. She didn’t have any fighting experience, he would be putting her in unnecessary risk by getting her involved...

So Lloyd just stood glumly, waiting in agonizing silence for his captor to finish eating so he could get one step closer back to his cell where he could rest. Maybe there he could at least teach Harumi how to choke someone out. They could practice on a pillow or something...

Lloyd wanted to punch himself. This was all so _stupid._ After all this, here he was deducing the best ways to get a harmless princess to help murder a powerful crime lord. It wouldn’t work.

Besides, Harumi would never agree to help _him_...

“I am finished eating,” Chen laughed as he stood up and shoved his plate into Harumi’s hands. “Clean this dish and meet me in the noodle factory, I wish to pay a visit to my _less favored_ prisoners.”

* * *

As Chen entered the smoke-filled factory with Lloyd and Harumi in tow, he sneered at Captain Walker who sat groaning on the ground, with Nya kneeling by his side. 

“What is the matter, Captain?” Chen rose a brow. “I hope you have a good reason for avoiding work.”

“My leg got cut open by a freaking _noodle cutter,_ ” Walker spat under his breath, holding his knee tightly to contain the bleeding. “Your guards refused to treat it.”

“You may have your treatment,” Chen rolled his eyes, waving one his men over. “In the meantime, _girl,_ ” Chen glared at Nya, “I’d advise you to get back to work instead of worrying about this worthless pirate.”

“He’s not-“ Nya stopped herself after a look from Walker, and she bit her tongue. 

“I’m surprised you managed to get a girl to like you considering you lost literally everything else, Walker,” Chen laughed, and then walked past Walker. 

Harumi looked at Walker and Nya sadly as she passed, wishing more than ever to alleviate these poor people from slavery. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“As you can see, this facility is quite large, and it requires many workers,” Chen explained to Lloyd and Harumi as they kept walking past machinery. “If you both weren’t so valuable, you’d be cutting your knees here too. Remember that.” Chen poked a finger at Lloyd’s chest, as if he were showing kindness or pity to him somehow.

“You’re a fool, Chen,” Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. “If you didn’t have me in these chains, you’d be dead.”

Chen didn’t speak. Instead, he lashed out and punched Lloyd in the gut, causing the boy to stumble back. Then Chen followed it up with a strong punch to the face, sending Lloyd to the ground. The racket and sound of constricting chains drew attention from the workers.

Lloyd reached for his mouth to wipe away the blood, his eyes sending daggers towards Chen. He furled his brows and started slightly glowing green in hatred. He looked at Harumi’s fearful eyes and backed down.

“Hmm,” Chen scoffed, grabbing Harumi by the arm. “So you hesitate from hitting me back because of this meaningless slave?” Before Lloyd could argue, Chen slapped Harumi and then kicked her down to the ground as well, and with a loud _crack_ her back hit the hard floor.

Lloyd crawled over to her side, trying to help her up, before being kicked in the head. Lloyd spat up more blood and then finally hit back. His fist made contact with Chen’s knee in a hard motion, causing the man to stumble back and grab his leg in pain.

“Ah! You little prick!”

Chen started kicking again, but Lloyd had stood up and threw Chen up against the wall. He sent a series of stronger blows up into Chen’s stomach and then his face, starting to splatter some blood on the ground.

“You’ll learn your place, you ignorant worm!” Lloyd yelled as he grabbed Chen by the throat. He contemplated doing what he wanted to earlier and choking the man out. “You think you know power, but you have nothing!” Another swift punch to the gut.

Lloyd could hear the footsteps of the guards coming up behind him. He didn’t care. Another punch, another swing...Lloyd kept hitting until Chen collapsed to the ground in a miserable, bloody mess. He was alive, far from dead, but he looked the part.

Lloyd’s arms were grabbed tightly by two guards, and a third guard hit him on the back of the head, causing Lloyd’s vision to fade. The son of Garmadon, with bloody knuckles, fell to the ground beside Chen. His unconscious body was picked up and carried away to his cell.

Chen finally stood up shakily and wiped the blood from his face, spitting out a tooth. Clearly too proud to face what had happened, he grabbed Harumi tightly and tugged her along. “Well, I guess we’ve found an even greater use for you now, haven’t we?”

Chen then left the factory with Harumi, slamming the door behind him.

“Whoa,” Cole breathed as he broke the silence. “That was...brutal.”

“This isn’t fair, none of it is,” Kai groaned, the surroundings and situation clearly getting to him. He slammed his fist against a table and looked around at his fellow prisoners. “Princess Harumi is gonna get hurt, maybe even killed, if Chen keeps this up. And we just saw just how skilled Lloyd is, and that was without his powers!”

“Kai, calm down,” Cole groaned.

“Kai is right,” Walker argued, walking in with a fresh bandage on his leg. “Chen’s gonna use the princess to get into Lloyd’s head, probably to awaken his power again so he can steal it. On top of that, I’m sure Garmadon will be looking for him.”

“Why does Lloyd even care?” Nya pondered. “About Princess Harumi? About any of this?”

“He’s not exactly like his father,” Cole observed, thinking back to the past few times Lloyd had shown compassion or mercy to others, mainly Harumi. “I think he’s better than we expected he would be.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that he could totally still kill us,” Kai pointed out.

“We need to _get out_ of here,” Cole’s face lit up, and he started coming up with a plan. “Maybe Lloyd would help us after all.”

“What’s your plan?” Nya asked, but she deep down already knew what he was going to say.

“Our powers,” Cole sighed, looking down at his hands. “We need to learn how to use them, just like Wu said. Maybe if we master our powers and team up with Lloyd to escape, we can overpower Chen.”

“Not a smart idea,” Walker shook his head. “Chen is after elemental powers. He wants them all, and so far he has no idea you four are gifted. Best to keep it that way, or else he’ll steal those powers in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t think we have a _choice_ ,” Kai brought his fists together and started to smirk. “We need to get out of here and get Princess Harumi back to Ninjago. If it means getting super cool powers along the way, count me in.”

“I thought you were still in denial about the whole power thing,” Nya smirked.

“I still don’t understand any of it, but it definitely beats anything else,” Kai shrugged. “Now, if only we knew _how_ to use our powers.”

“It’d help if we at least knew what our powers were,” Cole snorted.

“You have powers, right Walker?” Nya smiled as she walked over to sit beside the captain, folding her hands in her lap. “How’d you get yours to work?”

“The captain doesn’t like talking about his powers, little missy,” Flintlocke spoke up for the first time in a while, coming over with Dogshank from another load of noodles. 

“No, it’s fine, Flintlocke, in fact I don’t mind at all,” Walker gave Nya a smile and went on. “I know I said _I_ didn’t like the idea of using my powers again, but if you’re all so decided on using yours to escape, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Walker stretched out his legs before leaning in to explain. “I discovered my abilities when I was a boy, barely old enough to assume such a responsibility. With a few exceptions, elemental powers are typically passed down from generation to generation, but my parents never told me anything.” Walker paused. “They really weren’t that great of parents anyway, but besides that! The first time I used my powers, I somehow beckoned them out of fear. There was an incident at a harbor where a merchant had gone back on his word, and I stuck my hands out to get him to stop, but...lightning shot out.”

“So you’re saying we just have to be afraid?” Kai scoffed, rolling his eyes. “If that were the case, Cole would have unlocked his powers _long_ ago.”

“Shut up,” Cole grumbled.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nya raised her hands to get the boys to pause. “So you’re saying that elemental powers are inherited from ancestors? Like, even parents could have them before us?”

“Yes,” Walker nodded. “Have you seen your parents use them?”

“No, they left when Kai and I were really young,” Nya shook her head sadly. “We’ve been orphans for quite a long time. Even if our parents had used some sort of powers around us, we were too young to remember.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Walker gave Nya an apologetic smile.

“Alright, that’s sweet,” Kai nodded quickly. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand please. How do we even know what kinds of powers we have?”

“Well, you each harbor an element,” Walker started, beginning to stand up. “There’s plenty of powers that we already know about: lightning, shadow, form, poison, metal, light, speed, ice, nature...” Walker smirked. “A lot are already taken, but I know for a _fact_ that fire is one. Probably water, too.”

“I think Wu might have said something about Earth being an element...” Cole spoke, almost more to himself than to the others.

“Earth is a separate element from Nature?” Kai laughed. “And I don’t remember that guy _ever_ saying anything about Earth.”

“Neither do I, actually,” Nya nodded. “Sorry, Cole.”

“No, he’s right,” Walker’s eyes widened, and he walked over beside Cole, who was staring at his hands. “Wu didn’t say anything about the Earth element, but something else did.”

“Come again?” Kai folded his arms.

“Captain Walker is right,” Cole spoke shakily and nodded his head, still staring at his hands, and then his arms. “Some kind of... _voice_ told me about my power. Right now it’s telling me to...have peace?”

“Freaky...” Nya chuckled nervously.

“It’s an elemental voice, a few masters in the past have had them,” Walker nodded. “Especially under trying circumstances, the element sort of...calls out to its proper user. Cole, you may be one of the very few to experience it.”

“Convenient timing too,” Kai rolled his eyes.

“Everything happens for a purpose,” Nya thought back to what Wu had told them. “This is a trying circumstance, isn’t it?”

“So we all know that Cole is the Master of Earth or whatever, but now what do we do?” Kai asked.

Walker sighed. “This is probably a good sign that we need to get back to work and let the elements run their course.”

* * *

“And you stay in there and sulk, you scum,” Chen’s guard spoke with a gruff voice as he helped another guard throw Lloyd’s weakened body onto the stone floor once again. However, the guards didn’t walk away after locking the door. They simply moved aside and made way for their boss to enter the room.

“Hello there, Lloyd,” Chen smirked, but he was clearly still sour about their earlier fight. Chen stood there as close as possible to the cell and waved for his prized slave to enter behind him. Harumi begrudgingly stood beside Chen, and flinched as she noticed Skylor come behind her to watch. 

Lloyd said nothing - not that he couldn’t, but he wouldn’t give Chen the satisfaction of getting to him when he was weak. 

Chen grabbed Harumi’s wrist and tugged her forward to stand there between him, the cell wall, and Lloyd. Being at least a head shorter than the man, Harumi simply stood there nervously as Chen placed his hands on her shoulders from behind. 

“So, we’ve made some _very_ exciting progress today,” Chen sneered, continuing to look at Lloyd with a glare of victory and superiority. “Sure, you put up quite a _painful_ fight, and you will soon be punished for that, but in doing so, you gave me something much more than a bloody nose.” Chen gripped Harumi’s shoulders tighter and shook her before glaring at Lloyd again. “...leverage.”

Lloyd wanted more than anything to somehow slip into the shadows of his cell and not be seen.

Harumi no longer looked so much terrified as she did uncomfortable and unsafe. Her eyes looked to Lloyd for some sort of impossible answer to her problems, and it stung Lloyd that he had nothing to return her with but a fearful look of his own.

“You care for this girl,” Chen smirked, raising his voice to make sure Lloyd was still paying attention. “I didn’t expect the _Son of Garmadon_ to be so...soft. She’s automatically one of your father’s greatest threats to his rule. She should be an enemy, should she not?”

“She’s done nothing wrong,” Lloyd finally muttered, a bit too low for Chen to hear.

“What’s that? Speak up, boy.”

“She’s done... _nothing..._ wrong!” Lloyd screamed between his teeth, hoping to look threatening or even _anything_ but afraid. But his composure faltered as Chen slapped Harumi in the face, rather loudly this time. 

Harumi squirmed back and tried to hide her face, but Chen grabbed her neck and forced her attention back up. 

“I’ve just thought of your punishment, now,” Chen rubbed his chin and grinned. “I was normally going to place burning embers on your back or hang you on a wall to sulk in your misery, but now...” Chen gripped Harumi tighter. “Now I think it’ll be most effective if the punishment is dealt to _her_ instead.”

Lloyd’s face fell even more.

“If you fall out of line, or even attempt to kill me again...” Chen ran his finger along Harumi’s jawline, enjoying watching her squirm. “ _She_ gets the punishment, and you have to watch.”

Lloyd wanted to protest, but knew it would only make matters worse. So instead, he just watched helplessly as Chen walked off laughing. Harumi still stood there by the cell, with a confused and saddened look that seemed to ask a thousand questions about who was really to blame. Chen or Lloyd?

Lloyd couldn’t help but blame himself.


	6. Punishment

  
As the sun began to rise over Chen’s large island, various birds painted the sky as the distance made them seem so small. However, this particular morning, there were a team of trained assassins riding these large birds, and making their way towards the palace.

“I can’t believe this actually worked,” Killow laughed, holding on tight as the vultures began to swoop closer to the tops of the trees. “Good going, UV.”

Ultra Violet shrugged and gave Killow a grin. “Like I said, I was trained for this sort of stuff.”

“Well, you’re all taking orders from _me_ again, don’t forget,” Samukai barked at them, gaining eyerolls from the two. 

“Well, Mr. E still outranks all of us, so here’s hoping he won’t take long on those repairs,” Killow pointed out. “Funnily enough, I kinda miss the guy, no matter how quiet he was.”

As the birds began to descend, getting closer and closer to the entrance to the palace, Samukai motioned for the group to jump off, and they each slipped into the forage. “There it is, boys,” Samukai laughed. “Now all we gotta do is get the boss’ son and the princess out of there and we won’t have any reason _not_ to blow this thing to bits.”

“I figured you’d say that,” Killow grinned, pulling out his bag full of explosives.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, boys, we’ve gotta do this right,” Ultra Violet pulled out her sais and began to observe the area. “Just because we’re some of the few people who’ve been here in the last decade doesn’t mean Chen hasn’t prepped this place for intruders.”

“There’s a watchtower up there on the east column,” Killow pointed at the cylindrical building in the distance, and Ultra Violet nodded.

“We’re gonna have to take that first.”

* * *

Cole was woken to the sound of the noodle machinery being powered on, and he grumbled in response. The _last_ thing he wanted to do right now was spend all day cutting noodles, especially with this newfound power he was trying to discover. The voices had all but gone away now, and had become more of a soothing feeling rather than an audible sound. This was fine with Cole; a performer always knows how to stick to a beat.

“Morning, Cole,” Nya mumbled tiredly as she rubbed her eyes, managing to sit up from the tattered thin sleeping cots that had been provided for them. “Have any dreams about some cool Earth powers, perhaps?”

“Nah,” Cole shook his head. “I don’t really remember my dreams, I guess there’s nothing too exciting to remember.”

Nya simply nodded and went to wake up her brother. Cole looked around and spotted Walker and the other pirates already hard at work on the noodles, so he walked over to join them. “Captain, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, Cole, what are you wondering about?” Walker smiled, turning from his work.

“Do you ever have fun?”

Walker blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean no offense, it’s just...” Cole searched for the words. “With being a pirate and all, do you ever do anything that you have _fun_ doing? I mean, I’d assume you at least feel somewhat sorry about stealing from people, right?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Walker shrugged. “Usually in the winter, Flintlocke and I will go off to the Wailing Alps and watch the snowboarding competitions down there.”

“Really? Me too, man,” Cole’s face lit up as he finally had something to talk about that wasn’t related to secret powers or merciless crime lords. “Me and my dad used to look forward to it every year.”

“Huh. Well, if you don’t hate me _too_ much after we all get out of this place, maybe I could give you a ride on the _Misfortune’s Keep._ I’m sure it’s a much faster trip than whatever you and your dad took.”

“That...would be awesome, thanks,” Cole smiled even wider, before looking back at the noodles. “I don’t usually get invited to stuff.”

“Don’t have a lot of friends?”

“More like there isn’t anyone to be friends with,” Cole groaned, thinking back to his home. “My family holds a long line of performers, and my parents have been rather strict about me learning how to be the best I can be since I turned 6. I didn’t go to a normal school, and the only other kids that I saw on a daily basis were total _nerds_ who acted like they were already full grown adults before they even hit puberty.” Cole snorted. “Not really my speed.”

“I gotcha, I gotcha,” Walker nodded knowingly. “Yeah, unsurprisingly, the life of a pirate isn’t always a life of many friends either.”

“Then I guess I’m pretty glad we met,” Cole extended his hand, and Walker looked down at it confusedly. “It’s just a handshake. Since we never really met each other in a... _kind_ setting.”

“True, true,” Walker chuckled, shaking Cole’s hand gratefully. “And, Cole?”

“Yeah?”

“Call me Jay, that’s what my friends call me.”

“I thought you said a pirate didn’t have friends.”

“Well today’s a little different, isn’t it?”

* * *

Chen was in a really bad mood today. “There are _intruders_ here in my palace,” he went on and on, pacing back and forth in front of his throne. Harumi stood there by the left of the throne, while Lloyd stood chained as usual on the right. Today Chen had assembled a team of guards and strategists in his chamber, who all stood at attention.

“Our men have not yet spotted them since early this morning,” one soldier spoke. “They were apparently headed towards the east section of the building, and we have twelve guards standing ready.”

“That won’t be enough, not even close,” Chen groaned, seeming exasperated about the whole ordeal. “These are _Garmadon’s_ forces here, not some petty thieves. He has no doubt sent his best agents to recover his son...” Chen turned to glare at Lloyd. “It seems his very existence is now an even greater enemy than I had thought.” He thought for a moment, and then grinned. “Grab Harumi for Lloyd’s punishment.”

Harumi’s eyes widened and she attempted to back away, but three guards all hurriedly grabbed her and brought her before Chen. She tried to scream, but no sound came from her throat. She tried to slither away, but her muscles were stiff. 

“I’m gonna have fun with this,” Chen laughed.

“My lord, not to question your priorities, but...” one soldier started, seeming very hesitant to finish his statement. “But this is hardly the time to be playing with your prisoners. Not when we have intruders to worry about-“

“Silence!” Chen demanded, frowning at the man. “I have my tasks, and you have yours. I don’t want a single one of my men off duty until these assassins are found and killed, do you hear me?”

“Yes, master!” All of the soldiers answered in unision before turning to leave.

Chen waved for Clouse. “I’m going to need your assistance here, Clouse.”

“Yes, Master?” Clouse walked over to Harumi and gripped her arm. “I can restrain her if you wish.”

“No, _I_ have her under control, it is the boy who I wish for you to detain,” Chen gestured to Lloyd, before pulling Harumi into the middle of the room beside a table.

Clouse grabbed Lloyd by the chain and pulled him over as well, and then stretched out his hands in an ancient spell. This one was different, and served no purpose other than to hold Lloyd’s arms and legs in place, rendering him immobile. 

“Just punish me, Chen,” Lloyd finally spat out, looking up at the man with hate. “You can do double to me what you would to her, I don’t _care._ Just find it within yourself to let an innocent girl _go._ ”

“This is getting very weird now, it’s not even funny anymore,” Chen rolled his eyes, and then imitated barfing. “The _Son of Garmadon_ is not one who’d I expect to be lecturing me about fair treatment.”

Lloyd narrowed his eyes.

“Skylor, my daughter,” Chen broke the conversation as he noticed his daughter walking in to see him. “I expected you would be aiding in pursuing the intruders.”

“I’d rather be right here,” Skylor shrugged before sitting on the corner of the table, “watching the show.” She pursed her lips and looked between Lloyd and Harumi before smiling to herself and leaning back. 

“Bring me my staff,” Chen ordered Clouse, extending his arm to grab it and feel its power overcome his senses. The staff began to glow as it had before, and Chen sighed in relief. “I promised that whatever punishment was planned for you,” Chen glanced at Lloyd, “would be done to her. Even if she may not handle it like you could.”

Chen tapped the bottom of his staff on the ground to send a bit of an elemental shockwave through the room before raising the staff and consequently raising Harumi into the air as well. Harumi tried to flail he arms and kick her feet, but it did nothing for her.

“Behold the power of Gravity,” Chen laughed, holding Harumi in place. “Try not to squirm too badly...” With that, Chen activated another power and caused the wild plants in the pots nearby to shoot out and grab Harumi’s wrists and ankles, further holding her in place. Then the vines began to pull.

“The elements always had so much potential for supremacy,” Chen monologued as he continued to bend the will of the plants, and in doing so, pulled even harder on Harumi’s limbs. She let out a grunt as she tried to fight it off, but found it impossible to resist. “Even a single element could have given a man the ability to take a _nation,_ let alone produce such an _effective_ means of punishment.”

Lloyd felt himself nearly as helpless as Harumi; Clouse’s dark magic was quite strong and definitely well practiced. 

“You done playing around, father?” Skylor stood up and came to Chen’s side. “There are still intruders here, we shouldn’t waste any more time than we have to with this.”

“Patience, dear, I still haven’t gotten my results yet...”

* * *

“Samukai, through here!” Ultra Violet hissed as she and Killow went on ahead through the garden. 

“It’s _General_ Samu-!”

“S _hhhhh_ ,” Killow hushed Samukai, placing one of his large fingers in front of the Skulkin king’s bony mouth. “It’s hard enough sneaking around here without you raising your voice.”

“Speak for yourself, jumbo,” Samukai nudged Killow roughly. “Maybe if Garmadon hadn’t sent a _giant_ with us, we wouldn’t have to be so creative with our hiding places!”

“Wanna say that again?” Killow grunted, reaching out to grab Samukai in one hand and hold him up. Samukai extended one of his blades up to Killow’s face, and the two stared each other down long and hard for a few moments.

“Let me down, you big idiot,” Samukai threatened.

“Let your blade down first and maybe I will.”

Samukai obliged quickly, dropping his sword and letting it clatter on the ground. He straightened his bony arms and prepared to be set down, just for Killow to raise him up over his head and slam him down into one of the shrubs.

Killow rolled his head back in laughter and walked away to follow Ultra Violet, leaving Samukai with a hurt ego and even more hurt back.

“Do you hear that?” Violet asked as she placed her ear to the nearby wall.

“No, not at all,” Killow shrugged, trying to listen for it as well but hearing nothing. “Is it the princess?”

“No, it’s machinery...” Violet listened closer, starting to slide further down the wall into a crouched position. “There’s some sort of working facility beneath us. It could make good cover for us until we can locate Lloyd and the princess.”

“Good idea,” Killow nodded. “Ey, Samukai, come over here!”

“It’s _General_ Samukai. General!"

“Whatever dude, just listen up,” Ultra Violet folded her arms. “Our best chance to get in is to dig down into that facility beneath us and pose as workers. From there we can make our way up to the main palace.”

“How are we gonna dig?” Samukai questioned.

“Not to worry, fellas,” Killow snickered, pulling out his bag of explosives. He slowly pulled out large cylindrical explosive resembling a milk jug of some kind. With a careful movement, Killow placed it on the ground beside the wall. “This is a little something special the demolition experts back at Garmadon’s empire whipped up. No need to dig when this is a bomb specifically designed to cut a searing blast in any one direction.” 

“Pretend we’re not all explosion nerds, Killow,” Ultra Violet facepalmed.

Killow blinked. “It’s a bomb that cuts a tunnel through hard material.”

“So this _special bomb_ will just make an opening for us?” Samukai laughed in disbelief.

“Yes, it’ll serve its purpose,” Killow nodded. “Now, step back.” He bent down to activate the explosive, and then ran back to wait with the others. “Three, two, one, boom.”

The explosion wasn’t incredibly loud – it was probably designed that way – but it definitely seemed odd. Sure enough, there was a neatly drilled tunnel down and into the bottom floor of the building, and the group all headed in quickly.

“What the-“ Ultra Violet scratched her head as she looked around at all of the noodle machinery. “This is a _noodle_ factory?”

“This guy just gets odder and odder,” Killow shrugged and then pulled his two partners with him to hide behind a tall receiver belt. As the Big Man looked around the facility, something finally caught his eye. “Ey, isn’t that the pirate captain that blasted Mr. E off his ship?” Killow pointed over to Walker.

Ultra Violet grinned. “Yep. He’s the one who initially captured Lloyd and the princess, too. There don’t seem to be any guards closeby, so...” she looked around before turning to Killow and Samukai. “Let’s go have a chat with that pirate.”

While the three intruders were watching, Walker was still having a conversation with Cole as they worked together to get the noodles finished and ready. “So, how old is Nya anyway?” Walker asked with a mischievous smile, and Cole rolled his eyes but still grinned back.

“I dunno, man, I’ve only known her as long as you have. She’s younger than Kai, that’s all I know,” Cole shrugged. He raised a bushy eyebrow and folded his arms. “Seems like even pirates can fall hopelessly in love, huh?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Walker smirked. “Still, she’s a very nice – HEY!” Walker exclaimed as he felt a large pair of hands grab him by the shirt and raise him up. “Let me down!”

Ultra Violet gave her signature dark giggle as she walked over to look at the pirate captain face-to-face. “Captain Walker, isn’t it?”

“Who wants to know?”

“Hey, guys, put him down,” Cole threatened, pushing Killow a bit to get his point across. “How’d you even get in here?”

“Who do you think _you_ are to threaten _us_?” Samukai snarled, pulling out his blades and pointing them at Cole. This was more than enough to persuade the boy to back off.

“Emperor Garmadon has wanted your head for imprisoning his son,” Ultra Violet droned, pulling out a wanted poster from her pocket. Sure enough, it was a mugshot of Walker, from a time he had been briefly held in Kryptarium Prison once. “He doesn’t care if you’re dead or alive, as long as you pay.”

Cole started to slowly back away to find Kai and Nya, but was soon stopped by Samukai.

Violet went on. “Where’s Lloyd, Captain? And where’s the princess you stole?”

“Like I’ll tell you,” Walker spat, still attempting to break free. 

“He doesn’t have them in his possession anymore, clearly,” Killow shook his head. “Chen’s probably had those two locked up since they arrived here.”

“Fair point,” Samukai nodded. “Leave the pirate scum to spend the rest of his life in this filth, making _noodles._ ” The Skulkin rolled his eyes. “What a dump.”

Killow roughly dropped Walker onto the ground, and Samukai let Cole go. The three began to go towards the direction of the doors, and Walker had no doubt they would fight their way through the guards.

* * *

Harumi was about to _break_ , and Lloyd could see it. He didn’t want to hear her screams anymore, or watch her wriggling in pain, but Clouse forced him to observe, gluing his eyes in place. The vines had now been complemented by those hot embers Chen had promised. They were set in a pot just below Harumi’s body, and the vines would occasionally pull her lower just above the coals so she could feel the heat threatening to melt through her. 

It was clearly far too hot for Harumi to handle for long – her skin had turned red and drops of sweat ran down her face, neck, and arms in rapid succession. She had leaned her head back to try and breathe in as much cool air as possible, her mouth dry and desperate for water. 

Lloyd now feared how long it would be until Chen would actually let those burning embers touch Harumi’s skin.

“Father,” Skylor spoke up again, this time actually looking concerned. “Father, she’s burning up, you’re gonna kill her.”

“And?” Chen looked at his daughter, clearly not amused with her opinion, and waved her off. “You won’t sit here watching if you’re gonna go soft for these meaningless _slaves._ ”

“You won’t kill her, not when she’s literally given you all you need to get Lloyd to break,” Skylor shook her head. “Look at him, he’s devastated.”

Lloyd could hear this conversation taking place, but was unable to focus on anything other than the girl suffering in front of him. His powers had started to burst like before, his skin glowed a soft green and his blood ran hot, but the dark magic coupled with the vengestone chains was enough to hold Lloyd back from tipping over. 

“Plea _aase, stop!”_ Harumi managed to groan out as she arched her back, doing whatever she could to avoid contact with the embers. 

Lloyd kept struggling, to no avail, when he suddenly heard the doors burst open and footsteps fell behind him.

“Chen!” Samukai laughed as he drew his blades. “This fight’s been a long time coming!”

“Samukai, my old adversary,” Chen laughed back. “You never did know when to avoid a fight you cannot win. I see you brought some friends with you.” As Chen’s attention wandered, the vines’ grip on Harumi’s wrists and ankles started to loosen, and she widened her eyes as she fell closer to the embers.

“Let the princess go, Chen,” Killow ordered, raising his large club over his head. “We don’t have to make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

“Oh, I doubt this will be difficult,” Chen scoffed, getting up and walking over to the three intruders. He raised his staff and used the power of Metal to envelop his body in a protective metal covering, and he used his fingers to beckon Samukai to attack.

Before her could, however, Skylor ran over and joined her father to touch his staff. Her eyes glowed for a moment as she replicated the powers, and she then unleashed a strong gust of wind, forcing Killow and Ultra Violet to their knees while Samukai managed to stay standing.

Chen used the power of Smoke to fill the entire room with a dense cloud, circling around as he jeered his opponents. “You were foolish to come only by yourselves. I have all the power here.” Chen then noticed Samukai’s red eyes standing out in the smoke, and gestured for Skylor to take him out.

Unknowing of Skylor’s presence, Samukai ran forward to deliver a blow to Chen, only to be knocked down by a swift kick to the side.

“Master Chen!” Clouse shouted as he continued to maintain his spell. “Lloyd’s power is growing steadily! I don’t know if I can trust my spell to hold him.”

“Then get over here!” Chen shouted back, still looking around for the intruders. “He’s not going anywhere with those chains on!”

Clouse obeyed quickly, joining Chen and Skylor in the middle of the room to fend off any more of the enemy’s attacks.

“You’re only giving us cheap shots, Samukai,” Chen laughed. “When are you gonna actually land a blow?”

Lloyd fell to the ground and heaved for breath before looking back up at Harumi’s hovering body. He reached out to touch her arm, and then instantly drew it back as the heat burnt his finger. She was starting to already feel as hot as the embers, and her lack of sounds gave Lloyd reason to believe Harumi was coming close to passing out. 

Lloyd sighed for a moment, preparing himself. Then he quickly reached out and wrapped his arms around Harumi, hooking one arm under her torso and the other under her legs. The searing heat caused Lloyd to groan out and he nearly dropped her. He tugged, but the vines still held her back. Lloyd was already pulling his chains as far as they would go, and he couldn’t reach the vines at her ankles.

The heat grew more unbearable, and Lloyd made a split second decision to use whatever powers he had already summoned to surround Harumi’s body and blast away the vines. Harumi’s weight fell into Lloyd’s hands, and he pulled her back with him onto the floor, falling hard onto the cold marble.

Harumi convulsed in pain but also relief, shaking against Lloyd as he tried to touch her hot skin as little as possible. He rested her against a pillar and drew his hands back again, blowing on them helplessly. The skin was already burned; there was no way to change that now.

Harumi opened her eyes and gave Lloyd a small grateful smile in between her heavy breathing, leaning her head back like before. Lloyd wished more than ever that he could break free from the chains – there was a fountain of water just at the end of the room that he couldn’t reach. Harumi clearly wasn’t in any condition to walk over there herself. Her chest was heaving violently with each breath, and her mouth hung open wide as she sat in her dehydrated state.

“I’m sorry,” Lloyd whispered as he sat beside her, catching his breath as well. “I can’t reach the water.”

Harumi just nodded, finding it impossible to speak.

As the fight continued over at the other end of the room, Lloyd noticed Skylor approaching them. She had an amused smirk across her lips, and she knelt down to look Lloyd in the eye. “Someone got creative here, huh?” She grabbed his chain and bounced it in her hand a bit before dropping it again and laughing. “I’m impressed.”

“She needs w _ater,_ ” Lloyd groaned, looking at Skylor helplessly. “I know you hate me, but get her something to drink. You must have tried to spare her for a reason, right?”

Skylor thought for a moment before nodding. “You’re right, Lloyd. That’s another thing we have in common – we don’t wanna see an innocent girl die for _your_ actions.”

Lloyd simply shook his head and looked back over at Harumi. She looked just as surprised as he was that Skylor was concerned at all.

Skylor stood up and went to fetch a bowl, and then walked over to the fountain to fill it up to the brim. As soon as she brought it up to Harumi’s lips, the girl immediately began to gulp the water down quickly, humming in relief as the cold liquid soothed her throat and mouth.

“You’re welcome,” Skylor smirked, finally pulling the bowl back as Harumi sipped up the last few drops. Skylor turned to Lloyd and offered him a hand, helping him up. “Help me pick her up and bring her back to your cell. I’ll grab a sleeping cot from the factory so she can be a bit more comfortable.” Skylor looked around before chuckling to herself. She walked over and grabbed the end of Lloyd’s chains that were attached to Chen’s throne, now attaching them to a clip on her waist. “Now that you can move, let’s make this quick.”

Lloyd had a million questions, but nodded his head and helped slowly bring Harumi to her feet and wrapped an arm around her, propping her arm over his shoulder. Skylor did the same on Harumi’s other side. With that, they went out the back doors and made their way towards the dungeon.

* * *

Back in the cell, Harumi was set down in the cot Skylor promised, and another bowl of water was given to her. As Lloyd tended to his own burns on the floor, Skylor sat at Harumi’s feet and gently rested her hands on the girl.

Lloyd raised a brow. “What are you doing?”

“Your powers,” Skylor started, looking over at him. “When you used them to blast the vines off, you inadvertently soothed her burns.” She smirked. “Somehow.”

“My powers don’t heal,” Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. 

“They’ve never done this before?”

“No,” Lloyd answered quickly, but his assurance was starting to slip as he looked at Harumi’s skin. It had started to look even better than his burnt hands. He looked down at his hands and wondered.

“What if I take your chains off?” Skylor spoke after a long silence. Lloyd looked up at her in confusion, and she laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not trusting you to escape, I just wanna see what you can do.”

Lloyd still wasn’t convinced.

“The cell is locked, and it’s made of vengestone,” Skylor shrugged, tapping the bars with her palm. “I’m locked in here with you, you really think I would make it so easy for you to kill me here? I’m...trusting – wait, no,” Skylor took a deep breath and shook her head. “Alright, I’ve decided. I’m _trusting_ you to be good and just _show_ me.”

“Why?”

“I’m curious. Plus, I’ve been able to copy any other elemental power, but not yours.” Skylor seemed genuinely surprised. “There’s gotta be a good reason for that.” Without waiting for an answer, Skylor walked over and took the chains off Lloyd’s wrists. She folded her arms and looked down at him as she waited. “Well, don’t take all day. Let’s see what you can do.”

“Whatever,” Lloyd grumbled, standing up at last. He closed his eyes and summoned his powers like normal, and the bright green glow illuminated his fisted hands. He raised his hands and stretched them out to Skylor. “It’s fine, you can touch them, it won’t hurt you.”

Skylor hesitated before resting her hands on Lloyd’s palms, feeling nothing hurtful there but rather a rejuvenating energy instead. It started to make sense. “Your energy can be shared with others.”

“Come again?” Lloyd raised a brow.

“Your powers fill you with an energy that allows you to blast through walls and shoot glowing spheres, yes, but that same energy can be helpfully passed on to others,” Skylor explained, thinking back to how her father had described some of the other elements. “It’s an element that gives, rather than takes, and I think that’s why I couldn’t copy it.” She then grinned. “I guess you’re even more different from your father than I thought.”

Lloyd gave Skylor an offended frown, and she raised her hands in defense. “Not always a bad thing, Lloyd. Maybe it just means you’re a lot more human.”

Lloyd thought for a moment. “That kind of man has no place in my father’s empire.”

“Then maybe you don’t belong there,” Skylor shrugged. “Like I said onboard the pirate ship, you and I are both extremely powerful. As rough as you are around the edges, I think it might be _possible_ to live with some sort of alliance.”

“You mean an alliance with Chen,” Lloyd pointed out.

Skylor thought for a moment. “Maybe not.”


	7. Skylor's Problem

The intruders in Chen’s throne room had finally been put down. With an unimpressed frown, Chen ordered for the three to be taken away to the dungeon to be thrown in a cell, until they would soon work in the factory like the rest.

“Well, that was a total waste of time,” Chen laughed, turning on his heel to go back to torturing Harumi. “Now, where were we-“ He stopped in his tracks. “Where is she?!? And where is Lloyd???”

“They couldn’t have gotten far, Master,” Clouse assured him.

“No need to worry, Dad, I’ve got it under control,” Skylor’s voice rang throughout the room as she entered back in. “Those two weren’t exactly on their best behavior, so I did you a favor and put ‘em back in their cell.” Skylor fibbed, hoping no one would notice the bowl she had accidentally left there on the floor.

“But I wasn’t done having _fun_!” Chen groaned.

“Skylor did the right thing, Master, if we had gone much longer with the hot embers, Harumi could have easily died right there,” Clouse folded his hands behind his back as he examined the embers, and then the cut vines. “It seems somehow she was broken free, but it wasn’t her own doing.”

“It was Lloyd’s,” Skylor explained quickly, walking beside them. “But, rest assured, I have dealt with him and he won’t pull such a thing again. He _fears_ me.”

“Well, why shouldn’t he?” Chen grinned. “You’re surely the most powerful elemental he’s crossed. And with those chains on, what can he do but fear your power?” Chen turned to Clouse. “Perhaps I underestimated Skylor’s use in breaking Lloyd. Give _her_ the role of punishing Harumi next time and we’ll see where that goes.”

Skylor faked a smile and nodded her head.

* * *

In their cell, Lloyd and Harumi both sat silently in the peace and quiet, every so often getting up to drink from today’s bowl of water that Skylor had left for them. 

“I’m still surprised she wants to work with us,” Harumi spoke to Lloyd. “Against her father, against the only life she’s known.”

“Well, it’s seeming that she almost hates him as much as I do now, and it’s starting to come out of her,” Lloyd nodded, thinking back on how Skylor had helped get Harumi healed up. “She wants to take over the whole island soon and change how things work around here. It’s a good idea, but she’ll never be powerful enough to challenge my father.”

There was a long silence.

“What about you and your father?” Harumi almost hesitated to ask. 

“He’s a successful man,” Lloyd answered, and that was evidently all he wanted to say.

Harumi sighed. “And what are you then?”

Lloyd opened his mouth to answer, but stopped himself and shook his head. He kept thinking. “I’m not entirely sure right now.”

“Y’know,” Harumi gave Lloyd a soft smile and scooted closer to sit beside him. “I’m not really sure what _I_ am either. I never really questioned it before, but now that I’m living in slavery rather than royal comfort, I’ve started to realize I don’t have much of an identity besides being a princess.”

Lloyd looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I don’t have _friends_ , for one,” Harumi sighed. “Not real friends. And as weird as it might seem, _you_ of all people have been the closest thing to one in a very long time.” Harumi thought for a moment and smiled again. “You’ve saved my life a few times now, even if Chen wants you to think it was your fault I was being tortured in the first place.”

Harumi waited for a few seconds before looking directly at Lloyd and saying what she had wanted to say all this time. “You’re a whole lot nicer than anyone’s given you credit for.”

“No one really _knows_ me,” Lloyd shrugged.

“Except me, I guess,” Harumi pointed out, and beamed as she watched a small smile tease Lloyd’s lips. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad we met, although I would have preferred better circumstances. But maybe I wouldn’t have really gotten to know you without all of this happening.”

“How are you so positive about this?” Lloyd finally asked, giving her an amused and confused look. “I don’t know anyone else who would be acting that way after all you’ve been through.”

“Maybe I’m just happy because I finally really know someone. For some reason, that makes it a little bit worth it.” Harumi smiled, and then stood up to go get a drink. 

Lloyd watched her in disbelief and then leaned back to rest.

* * *

“Who are the newbies?” Kai whispered to Nya as he watched three new workers reluctantly entering the factory, escorted by several guards. 

“I’m not sure, they don’t look friendly though,” Nya grabbed Kai’s arm and pulled him over to a machine further away. “It’s best just to keep our distance.” She looked around and spotted Walker and Cole, and then waved them over. “Have you guys seen the new workers?”

“What?” Walker asked, looking around. “No, I haven’t – wait.” His eyes widened as he quickly recognized the Skulkin, large brute, and near-bald assassin looking quite confused and angry over by one of the belts. “Ah, crap.”

“You know them?” Kai questioned.

“So do I,” Cole groaned. “They’re Garmadon’s hunters, they came through looking for Lloyd and Princess Harumi a few hours ago.” He grinned. “Looks like they failed miserably.”

“Yeah, and I’d rather not have to work in the same place as _them_ ,” Walker ran his hand down his face in exasperation. “Just what I needed to make things worse.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’ve started learning my power, then,” Kai grinned, holding up his hand to create a small flame. The others dropped their jaws in shock, and Nya punches his shoulder.

“When were you gonna tell us _that_ , Kai?” Nya rolled her eyes.

“Oh, I was going to, but I was _far_ too busy making noodles 24/7,” Kai joked. “Guess I got some kind of fire powers, because I can create flames like this one and...” Kai rubbed the back of his neck. “I accidentally set Cole’s batch of noodles on fire.”

Cole’s eyes widened. “That’s why my belt was so empty this morning!”

“Hey, hey, you’ve started learning your powers too, right?” Kai raised his hands in defense. “You know how uncontrollable they can be.”

“What’s he gonna do, accidentally create some _rocks_?” Nya rolled her eyes again. 

“Well, this is, in the very least, good news for our plans moving forward,” Walker assured Nya. “With Kai and Cole both working on mastering their powers, we have two more big assets for our escape. You, Nya,” he smiled, “are going to learn your power too. I know it. Now, let’s get back to work, fellas, and try to ignore our new co-workers over there.”

They all nodded in agreement and set back to work.

* * *

A few hours went by and Nya had a question.

“Hey, Walker?” She peeped, poking her head out from around the corner to gain his attention. The captain turned from his work to smile at the girl before nodding and walking over to her. “I need to know something.”  
  
“Yes?”

“Why did you willingly let Chen take Princess Harumi?”

Walker’s heart sank and he took a big gulp of air nervously, fighting the urge to look away and hide his face. “Well, Nya, I...” he took a breath. “Well, I...”

“Yes?” Nya asked, not appearing angry or disappointed, but still giving him a stern and serious look. She folded her arms and moved closer to him as he tried to turn his face. 

“I’m a _pirate,_ Nya, and I know that may not sound like a great excuse – and it’s not – but I really had to think quickly to ensure things wouldn’t get messier than they already were.” Walker offered the girl an awkward smile, and she smiled back, but he had a bad feeling that was only because she liked him. He sighed and tried to start over. “Look, Nya, I don’t want to see Princess Harumi suffer either, but she _was_ my prisoner, same as you were.”

“But you treated us both like guests once you felt bad about it,” Nya pointed out. “You gave me my own room on your ship.”

 _That wasn’t the main reason why,_ Walker thought bitterly to himself. True, he had started to feel bad for the innocent prisoners he had taken, but at the end of the day, he released them because he didn’t want to be killed and die alone.

Now Walker felt stupid.

“I’m glad you’re willing to hear my side of the story, Nya,” Walker finally answered, in a more cryptic way than he had planned. “You are very sweet and patient, not to mention understanding. But I am not perfect, and I realize what I did regarding the princess was wrong.”

“I know,” Nya smiled. “Anyways, I still haven’t had any luck unlocking my power. Kai’s been bragging about his _all_ day and I’d really like to change that.”

Walker chuckled and took Nya’s hand to lead her back to the belt. “Don’t worry, I have a few meditation tricks Wu taught me a long time ago that might help you speed past your brother in no time.”

* * *

Skylor returned to her bedroom for the first time in what felt like days and locked the door behind her. She tossed her knives onto the desk and plopped herself down onto her bed, chucking her boots off her feet. Skylor ran a hand through her bright red hair and took a deep breath as she contemplated over the events of the past day. She had basically offered Lloyd an alliance to help assassinate her own _father_. That was weird...right?

Sure, Skylor wasn’t called the most dangerous woman in Ninjago for nothing. She had killed plenty of arrogant crime lords and rulers, but no one as close to her as Chen. But things needed to change, and for that to happen, Chen needed to die. He had all of the resources and soldiers, not to mention the elemental powers, that he needed to stage a full on assault on Garmadon’s fortress. He just didn’t use them or embrace them like Skylor did. She had been born with the element of Amber, allowing to replicate any power (except Lloyd’s now, for some reason) and from the time she learned how, Skylor had always been one step ahead of her father. Chen was powerhungry and knew how to get what he wanted, but he didn’t _use_ that power for anything more than satisfying his own foolish desires.

Skylor was tired of being Chen’s daughter. 

She was tired of being his assassin.

She was tired of being his dancing girl.

And she was most of all, absolutely _done_ being under his rule.

Skylor was 22 now, she could do whatever the heck she wanted. All she needed to do was overpower Chen, with Lloyd’s help, and even the Staff of Elements wouldn’t be enough to save Chen’s sorry hide. Then preparations could begin to completely revamp Chen’s cult into a fully functioning army, and they could take the capital right out of Garmadon’s hands.

Now, Skylor just needed to know when the right time would be, and how to mentally prepare herself for doing what would have to be done.

And then there was Clouse...

He would arguably be even trickier to kill than Chen, and it was definitely out of the realm of possibility to coax him into joining her side. Skylor would need to make plans for that particular sorcerer soon. 

As for other allies, she could call upon some of the huntsmen in the North Region, or possibly stoop as low as to get that pirate Captain Walker to help out...he wouldn’t like it, but a third element would make things much easier.

Still, Skylor mainly needed Lloyd for this plan to work, and so far it seemed that she had convinced him that her intentions were true. He wanted Chen gone just as much as she did, so whether he liked working with her or not, Skylor was sure that Lloyd would take the opportunity. They would need to keep Harumi somewhere safe during the fight to ensure her safety...maybe after taking over the Empire, Skylor could place the princess back into some sort of position of royalty, but more as a figurehead since obviously Skylor herself would rule.

 _Ech,_ that was the worst part. Skylor hated the idea of having to be some sort of benevolent Empress, but her plan demanded it. Plus, she was the most powerful, so who would even dare question her authority?

And so Skylor’s thoughts continued to plague her mind until she couldn’t handle it anymore and went back to the dungeon for help.

* * *

“Wake up, Blondie, it’s time we talk,” Skylor repeated again as she nudged Lloyd’s sleeping form, and his eyes finally cracked open. 

“Skylor?” Lloyd looked her up and down before groaning and pushing her away. “Go _away._ ”

“Hey, I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the thought of having another _wonderful_ chat with Garmadon’s son either, but this is important,” Skylor assured him, prodding his shoulder again. “We need to reevaluate this plan.”

“Why?” Lloyd grumbled, his voice still groggy from his half-awake state. “You’ll get your stupid island, hooray.”

“No, it’s not that,” Skylor huffed, shaking her head at his stubbornness. She didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, nor did she have any intention of sharing what she planned to do _after_ seizing control of the island. Lloyd was an issue she would have to deal with after her father’s death, but that was in the future. “Lloyd, get up now, or I swear I will gut you like a Rondian dirt fish.”

Lloyd just grumbled in response.

“Get up or I’ll change my mind and have my dad give Harumi punishment again,” Skylor folded her arms.

“You wouldn’t,” Lloyd shook his head and nestled into the floor. “Don’t give me empty threats.”

“You think I wouldn’t?” Skylor challenged, and then looked over at Harumi’s sleeping form in the cot a few feet from Lloyd. Skylor realized begrudgingly that Lloyd was right. “Well, whatever! I need you to listen to me, so you’d better at least show me some attention by _looking_ at me.”

Lloyd just grumbled something inaudible and finally propped himself up into a sitting position, looking up at Skylor with the most dead expression she had ever seen. 

“There, that wasn’t so hard,” Skylor blinked a few times and tried to ignore how completely uninterested Lloyd’s expression was. “Anyways, I need to know if you have any good leadership qualities.”

Lloyd looked at Skylor with a blank expression before shrugging. “I mean, I’ve lead men into battle before.”

“How often?”

“Dozens of times, maybe hundreds,” Lloyd shrugged again, and then yawned. “Why is this important?”

“Because assassins usually work _alone_ or at least in small groups, so I’m going to need some help to give the men a leading voice,” Skylor told him, still leaving out the part about where this army would be going.

“Why do you think they would take orders from me?” Lloyd furled his eyebrows and slightly cocked his head to the side. “You’ll be the leader here.”

“I’m _not_ saying you’re in charge, you’ll just be helping lead the troops along, that’s all,” Skylor sighed, already realizing that convincing Lloyd was going to be harder than she anticipated. “Every order you give them will just be relaying what _I_ order of _you_.”

“Okay?” Lloyd still seemed confused.

“Don’t worry about what the men think; they’ll already be given fresh eyes on this whole thing once I take over,” Skylor assured Lloyd. “They’ll follow your every command. That is,” Skylor looked him straight in the eye, “if I can trust you not to rebel.”

“Can you?” Lloyd challenged, folding his arms and giving her a smug grin. “I dunno, I think it might be more fun to just watch chaos ensue when you try commanding them yourself.”

Skylor gave Lloyd the stink eye and shook her head. “You’re impossible.”

“I just want Chen dead, and then I want out,” Lloyd answered simply.

“I’ll let you out once you help lead the troops in just _one_ battle,” Skylor raised her hands in defense. “And maybe, once you reap the benefits of your efforts, you’ll consider _staying_ for a while.”

“Staying _here_?” Lloyd scoffed. “In just another cell?”

“No, you’d be treated like royalty, as would Harumi,” Skylor offered. “Lloyd, what I am willing to give you here is more than your father could even think to give you. You and me are the most powerful elementals. If we work together, we can-“

“Here you go again,” Lloyd rolled his eyes. “The same spiel, with the whole ‘we’re the two most powerful beings, blah blah blah’. May I remind you that my _father_ is far, far more mastered in the elements than you ever will be.” Lloyd’s expression grew cold and stern. “Neither of us are anywhere near his power. And if you think this insignificant cult on an far off island is actually going to make a difference in who runs the land, than you’re dead wrong.”

“I never said I wanted to rule the land,” Skylor shot back.

“You’ve insinuated it this whole time,” Lloyd’s eyes narrowed, and his hands started to glow despite the chains. “This army you want _me_ to command is intended to storm _my_ father’s empire and attempt to take over!” Lloyd stood up and approached Skylor until she was up against the wall and there were only inches between them. Lloyd stared into her eyes angrily and his fists glowed even brighter. 

“Back away from me,” Skylor hissed, but Lloyd only straightened his towering stance over her. 

“You will not demand me of anything.”

A faint but noticeable rustling sound behind Lloyd and Skylor caught their attention, and they turned to see Harumi sitting there in surprise. She looked at Lloyd, then Skylor, and then back at Lloyd before shaking her head in disbelief.

“You shouldn’t make him angry, Skylor,” Harumi almost whispered. “Those chains don’t seem to do much good at holding him back anymore.”

Skylor scoffed. “Look at her, she’s not even _trying_ to excuse your actions, she’s just letting it happen. You two really have gone soft on each other, haven’t you?”

Lloyd kept glaring at Skylor for a few moments before unclenching his fists and turning away. “Just leave, Skylor. There’s no use trying to convince me anymore, I see through your tricks.”

Skylor mentally panicked. She _needed_ Lloyd’s alliance, how could she have screwed this up so badly?

“I know I’ve upset you, but...” Skylor fumbled over her words, trying not to make things worse. “What if I promise you that I _won’t_ force you to lead my forces?” Even with Lloyd’s back turned to her, Skylor noticed his interest pique again. “Our plan will go as usual, we’ll kill my father together, and then directly after, I will let you leave. I don’t come after you, you don’t come after me, and when you reunite with your father, things will go back to normal.”

Lloyd turned to look at Skylor, but he still looked unsure.

“You can even take Harumi back with you, I don’t care,” Skylor rolled her eyes.

“You’ll still try to attack my father’s empire,” Lloyd pointed out.

“Maybe, yes, but we’ll be on opposite sides again, so does it matter?” Skylor shrugged. “Maybe when I successfully take the throne, I’ll go easy on ya and let you have an important position.”

“That’s being too nice; you won’t even last an hour trying to assault the fortress,” Lloyd shook his head in disbelief.

“It doesn’t matter what you _think_ just as long as we have a deal,” Skylor extended her hand. “Either way, my father will be dead and we both get what we want.”

“You don’t end up getting a leader for your troops,” Lloyd jabbed.

“You’re not the only man in Ninjago with a commanding voice,” Skylor huffed.

“Oh, even _you_ have the voice for it, you’ve been bossing me around this whole conversation,” Lloyd folded his arms.

Skylor simply shut her mouth and left the cell, locking it behind her. She looked back at Lloyd’s smug expression before continuing to leave. At least she had a deal; that was all that mattered now.


	8. Vengeance and Consequence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may seemingly be the end of one part of the story, but this fanfic is far from over. Keep reading, everyone, cuz there's plenty of story left to be told!

Nya wasn’t liking this at all.

Ever since figuring out how to form water droplets on the side of the noodle machine, the guys had been prying her for hours and trying to see if she could summon anything bigger. The idea of a Water Elemental wasn’t exactly _cool-sounding_ when compared to Kai’s fire or Walker’s lightning, but Walker still assured Nya that her element would show its use in time.

“Just focus on what you want to create,” Walker guided Nya’s hand gently towards the floor, watching her concentrate with closed eyes. “Picture in your mind what you want to make, and then make it.”

“I _want_ a way out of here,” Nya grumbled.

“Don’t we all,” Cole rolled his eyes.

“Well, maybe that’s exactly what your element is for,” Walker shrugged, still holding Nya’s forearm and keeping it steady. “We can’t break out now – not yet – but it wouldn’t hurt to come up with something to help us later.”

“Why can’t we escape now again?” Kai raised an eyebrow. “Our elements may still be really faint but your powers could just blast a hole through the wall or something, right?”

“No,” Walker shook his head, lowering his free hand down to the shackles on his feet. “These chains are made of vengestone, same material as the chains they put on Lloyd. They cancel out an elemental’s ability to connect to his powers. Which is _exactly_ why I don’t want you guys using your powers until the time is right. If you use your elements in the open and a guard sees, he’ll put these same shackles on each of you.”

“Got it,” Cole nodded. “Not that it will be noticeable right now anyways; I can still barely make anything bigger than a handful of small stones.”

“You’ll improve, Cole, give it time,” Walker smiled. “It took me plenty of time to master my power, too.”

“Hey, Captain!” a voice called over in a mischievous tone. Ultra Violet strolled over, followed by Samukai and Killow, to meet their new co-workers. “I’ve met your one friend there,” she pointed to Cole, “but these two, I have never seen.” Violet placed her hands on her hips and looked over Kai and Nya suspiciously. “Are they more of your pirate crew?”

“Their role is of no importance to you, _Assassin,_ ” Walker spoke coldly, brushing her off.

“Hands off, pal,” Killow growled.

“No, no, I just want to be properly introduced,” Violet smirked and walked over to the siblings. She extended her hand for a handshake but clearly Kai wasn’t interested.

“Yeah, no thanks,” Kai shook his head, about to turn and leave. “I’d rather not get all ‘buddy’ up with one of Garmadon’s pawns.”

Nya, however, quickly shook Violet’s hand and gave her a small smile. “I’m Nya.”

Kai choked on whatever air was passing through his lungs, looking at his sister with wide eyes. “What in the _world_ , Nya?”

“We’re stuck in here with them,” Nya shrugged. “Plus, they came here for Lloyd and Harumi, not us.” She then paused and reconsidered her statement. “Right?”

Killow laughed. “Oh, we don’t have the time nor the resolve to worry about capturing a bunch of _teenagers,_ little lady. Garmadon would rather see Walker rot here anyways.”

“ _Not_ teenagers,” Nya folded her arms firmly. “I’m _19_ , just so you know.”

“Still barely an adult,” Samukai pointed out. 

“The _point_ is that we don’t _care_ how old you are or what your business is with this scummy pirate,” Violet butted into the conversation, clearly already agitated at all the unnecessary dialogue. “We merely wanted to be acquainted with the people we’re stuck in here with.”

“Yeah, well get lost then,” Walker moved in front of Nya and Kai with a stern glare. “The guards here aren’t too forgiving if they catch you slacking.”

“Oh, we know,” Killow chuckled as he walked off with the others. “Samukai doesn’t know the first thing about making noodles. His fingers are too bony.”

“I’m a _Skulkin,_ Killow, what do you expect?” Samukai groaned.

* * *

Chen was ticked off.

 _Very_ ticked off, and he liked to bring Clouse to see him every time he was ticked off so he could have someone to complain to.

Clouse simply stood there with his hands folded neatly behind his back, appearing even more uninterested than normal, but kept his attention of his master the entire time he spoke. He had been trained this way, but it didn’t mean that he actually enjoyed it.

“Having Lloyd here is almost completely a bad luck charm, Clouse,” Chen went on, running a hand down his face in frustration. “We tried torturing him. He fought back. We keep him here. He has his father’s assassins come and break into my palace. We even torture _Harumi_ with hot embers and elemental plants and _still_ the only one who suffers is me!”

“Perhaps we should try another spell, Master,” Clouse droned. “Torturing Harumi _did_ seem to get the reaction from Lloyd that you wanted, but you didn’t have a way of getting him to talk beyond just making him watch. If we truly want more information out of Lloyd, I suggest using this spell,” Clouse paused as he walked over to grab his book. He flipped to a certain page and held it out for Chen to see.

“The Spell of Algotharr?” Chen wrinkled his nose and scoffed at the page, leaning back into his throne. “What does it actually do???”

“Quite similar to the spell I used on Lloyd’s mind before, it causes him to be more open and submissive to commands, even your own, Master,” Clouse explained. “However, this spell will play off of his concern for Harumi. We won’t torture her this time – we don’t even need to. The spell will plague his mind with visions of her in great suffering, and he’ll perceive them to be real. Eventually he will be so distraught that he’ll give any kind of information just to make the pain stop.”

“Hmm, interesting,” Chen nodded. “But if I remember well, and I _do_ , Lloyd’s powers caused him to nearly break away from our hold last time you used a spell. And they’re clearly getting stronger by the day, despite the vengestone. One day, his powers may evolve well enough to render the chains completely useless, and it’ll be a lot harder to keep him still.”

“Yes, Master, that’s why I have arranged for your daughter to restrain him with her own powers. Like you said, you wanted _her_ to deal the punishment this time.”

“True, Skylor is powerful, probably more powerful than Lloyd when he’s restrained,” Chen nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “She’s been acting rather strange lately, wouldn’t you agree, Clouse?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Master.”

“Ever since she took the prisoners back to their cells without me knowing,” Chen went on. “Skylor has insisted that she knows best what to do with them now. Hah! My own slave and prisoner, and she thinks she can order me around about what to do with them!”

“Perhaps she is only concerned about Lloyd’s growing ability, Master,” Clouse offered. “After all, she is an elemental, same as he is. Skylor would understand Lloyd better than either of us.”

“Whatever,” Chen grumbled. “Call Skylor to bring Lloyd to me at once. And grab Harumi as well. I’m getting tired of being separated from my favorite slave.”

* * *

Skylor was ready today. She had spent hours studying the different ways she could offensively use the elements she had copied, and she brought a few extra knives today – more than she normally did.

Walking confidently down to the dungeon again, Skylor considered what she was about to do, and then shrugged it off. This opportunity was far too perfect. Not only was Chen allowing for her to be in control of Lloyd’s ‘punishment’ but it was the perfect way to get the jump on Chen and eliminate him before he could even adapt. 

“Knock, knock,” Skylor called as she tapped the back of her hand against the cell bars, looking over at Lloyd, who quickly stood up to walk over to her. Skylor smirked, knowing he was just as ready as she was.

“Is it time?” Lloyd asked.

“Yes,” Skylor nodded, putting her hands on her hips. “My father has requested for me to be in charge of your punishment today, which is _so_ perfect. I’m gonna set it all up, have you on your knees, make it look convincing, and then I’ll kneel down as if I’m shouting at you, but I’ll be undoing your chains instead.”

“Then we can spring up on Chen and kill him,” Lloyd nodded slowly, considering Skylor’s plan. “This is a good plan, we’re fortunate that Chen unknowingly made his death so much easier.”

“Yes,” Skylor was still beaming, excited to finally carry out what she had been plotting for months. “Oh, and he wants Harumi there, too, big surprise.”

Harumi simply nodded and dusted herself off, moving to stand beside Lloyd. “What will I need to do while you guys are carrying out the plan?”

“Just do whatever my father has you do,” Skylor shrugged. “Dance around, feed him some fruit. Just don’t be _too_ convincing, or he’ll realize something is up. When Lloyd’s chains come off, I’ll give you the signal, and you can just stand out of the way to avoid getting hurt.”

Harumi nodded silently.

“Alright,” Skylor took a deep breath before unlocking the cell, gesturing for Lloyd and Harumi to step out. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

Skylor entered Chen’s throne room with a cocky smirk on her face and a fast beating heart. She pulled Lloyd and Harumi behind her by chain and dropped them off at her father’s feet. “Here they are, Father.”

Chen sneered. “Good, good. I have an important job for you today, my daughter.”

“I have heard,” Skylor nodded, reaching down to grab Lloyd by the hair (gently, as to not damage him when she needed him most). “I’d be more than happy to put him through hell for you.” Below Skylor’s waist, Lloyd couldn’t help but roll his eyes. She was surprisingly very convincing at this.

“And so you will,” Chen laughed. “Go ahead, Skylor. Drag this scumrat to the middle of the floor and begin as you would see fit.”

“Thank you, Father,” Skylor bowed, and then gripped Lloyd’s arm tightly. She pulled him over as Chen requested, as Harumi was brought and placed by her master’s side once more.

Lloyd was shoved onto his knees and he hung his head low. Skylor stood above him with her hands on her hips, and a smile grazed her pursed lips. With a wave of her hand, Skylor used the power of Gravity to then throw Lloyd across the floor onto his back. He looked at her then with an angry frown, and Skylor walked over to him again, considering her next steps. She bent down and hovered over him as he lay on his back, so she could whisper in his ear.

“Just go with it, I’ve gotta make him buy it.”

Lloyd still glared at her but lightly nodded his head. With that, Skylor gripped Lloyd by his shirt and picked him back up, using a combination of powers to give her the supernatural strength to hold him up above the ground. She took her free hand, curled it into a fist, and brought it up to Lloyd’s stomach in a gentle punch that was meant to look far worse.

Then Skylor threw Lloyd down onto the ground, and used the power of gravity again to make his impact a bit lighter. Standing above him, Skylor looked over at Chen to see his reaction.

Chen was grinning like an idiot, clearly glad to see Lloyd taking so many hits. “Good, Skylor! Remember, we need answers out of him.”

“Master, may I remind you of the spell?” Clouse raised a brow.

“Hush now, we can do that in time,” Chen waved him off, still not taking his eyes off of his daughter beating up the son of his enemy. “She’s good at this so far.”

Skylor grabbed Lloyd’s head in her hands then, focusing her powers to look into his mind. The power of the Mind was one that she hadn’t used much before, but now seemed like a fine time to practice. Skylor saw Lloyd’s frustration, building up like wild waves. Before she could pry further, Clouse walked up behind her.

“This may help you,” Clouse spoke in his nasally voice, stretching out his hand to perform the spell. He chanted a series of words that neither Lloyd nor Skylor could understand, but Skylor knew better than to interrupt the sorcerer. This spell was merely something she would have to work around.

“What did you do?” She asked.

“He’ll be more compliant to commands and will answer your questions,” Clouse explained, looking down at Lloyd as he shook on the ground, submitting to the spell’s power.

Skylor stood thinking for a moment before continuing. She bent down to grab Lloyd’s chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. Sure enough, there was a pale haze over his normally bright green eyes, and his expression grew to one of worry or fear. “Lloyd,” Skylor addressed him simply, and he gave her a nervous ‘hmm’ in response. Skylor’s eyes widened. She shook him around a bit, still seeing the same mindless zombie expression.

“Lloyd, where is your father’s military base located?” Skylor attempted to get an answer, not really expecting much.

“I don’t know off the...” Lloyd groaned as he was clearly struggling against the spell, “...off the top of my head, but...I can write down the...coordinates...ugh.” Lloyd groaned, his body beginning to feel limp. Skylor, with her hand still holding Lloyd’s chin, could practically feel the energy conflicting within him.

Chen laughed proudly. “Excellent! Clouse, your spell was a success!”

“Wait!” Lloyd shouted, the light in his eyes flickering back and forth as his power struggled to break out. “I can’t...no, I _won’t..._ Ah!” Skylor dropped Lloyd’s chin, and he fell to the ground.

Harumi stepped back nervously, but Chen stopped her with an outstretched hand. “I want you to watch, just as he watched you.” Chen grinned.

“Lloyd,” Skylor spoke again, attempting to gain his attention. Lloyd still bowed his head low to the ground, and so she pulled him back up forcefully, gripping him by the neck. She tried to be gentle, but she still needed to be convincing. “Lloyd!”

“My father...” Lloyd groaned out. “He’s...planning something, he...he knows...he knows...”

“What does he know?” Skylor asked, shaking Lloyd again. 

“He knows...about Chen’s island, he...” Lloyd shook his head violently. “He’s going to crush it. It’s only a few days’ time.”

“He’s known about this?” Chen’s eyes widened.

Skylor pried into Lloyd’s mind again and found the answer. There was another presence there – another _conscience_ , and it was terrifying. Skylor realized it had to be Garmadon, speaking to him through his power. “No, he’s relaying information that Garmadon is feeding him right now!”

“Well, this is new!” Chen half-scoffed, half-laughed nervously. “Have you noticed him doing that before?”

“No,” Skylor shook her head. “I would have noticed it by prying through his mind. He’s not lying, either.”

As Chen and Clouse talked amongst each other about preparations of Garmadon’s arrival, Skylor turned her attention back to Lloyd nervously. He was in a nearly useless state, and she needed him if she was going to kill Chen or not.

Finally, Skylor took a breath, closed her eyes, and tried her hardest to absorb his power to somehow heal his mind. It wasn’t working, clearly, and she herself had proven that his element was one she couldn’t take for herself. So she tried something else.

“Lloyd,” Skylor whispered closely in his ear, in one last desperate attempt to bring him back. “Lloyd, listen to me, you need to use your powers, and you need to use them very excessively.”

Lloyd still merely grumbled helplessly at her, but Skylor persisted, using the element of the Mind again to make an impression on his consciousness somehow. “Lloyd, you need to heal yourself, come _on!_ ” Finally, after a few moments of silence, she could feel Lloyd’s hands grow warmer under her hold, and so she let go. That familiar green glow had started to build, and Skylor smiled in relief.

This was all a _mess_ now, but hopefully she could make up for it.

“What are you doing, Skylor?” Chen then questioned. “Keep asking him questions, I want more details on what Garmadon is sending here.”

Skylor just nodded and began to ask Lloyd generic questions about Garmadon’s fleet, armies, and battle strategies before he finally was pulsing again and his eyes returned to normal. Lloyd looked up at Skylor finally with his normal unimpressed glare, but Skylor was happy to see it rather than watching him hypnotized. 

She knelt down at his level, just as she had planned, grabbed Lloyd by the hair, and whispered under her breath. “Now, let’s give _him_ hell.”

Lloyd merely pulsed again in response, and as soon as Skylor undid his chains, the redhead was almost blasted back by all of the pent up energy.

“Wait, what’s he doing?” Chen asked confusedly, only to fall on his back in shock as Lloyd jumped into the air and shot a beam of energy straight into Chen’s chest. The force knocked Chen nearly through the wall, and he felt a soft yet powerful hand grip his neck tightly.

“S-Skylor?” Chen looked at his daughter fearfully, trying desperately to reach out for his staff.

Skylor glared at him with hate and punched him hard in the gut, then the upper torso, and then slapped him in the face. Lloyd raised a brow at her excessiveness, but Skylor didn’t care. “You’ve been a real crappy dad, I just want you to know that before you die.”

“Where is this even coming from?” Chen choked out, wheezing for air. “What did I do to you?”

As this went on, Clouse had begun to chant a spell, but Lloyd grabbed the sorcerer and threw him to the ground. He then grabbed the spellbook and fired a beam of energy straight through the whole thing, decimating every page. Clouse gave Lloyd a dirty look, only to be pushed back down again. 

“’What did you do’????” Skylor exclaimed in disbelief. “”What did you do?’ I’ll tell you exactly what you did: nothing!” She charged up another punch and hit Chen square in the jaw. “You’ve never been a father to me, you’ve never seen me as anything more than a pretty face like any of your slave girls, and on top of _that_ ,” Skylor squeezed Chen’s throat tighter, “you expect me to _love_ you in return.”

“Well...yes?” Chen laughed nervously, only to get another punch to the stomach. 

“I’ve faked my loyalty to you for long enough,” Skylor hissed, waving for Lloyd to come up alongside her. 

“You...” Chen breathed out in disbelief. “You’re working with _him???_ ”

“You gave me everything I needed to have my revenge, Dad,” Skylor smirked, looking over at Lloyd who stood with his hands lit with bright spheres of energy. “Not only did you give me an elemental, but you gave me the _best_ one, too.”

“Wh-what’s he gonna do?” Chen’s eyes widened.

“ _We..._ ” Skylor emphasized, “Are gonna put an end to you.” Skylor pulled out one of her knives and held it up in front of Chen’s face.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Chen shook his head.

“Oh, I would,” Skylor assured him. “Don’t believe me? I’m sure you’d expect Lloyd to do it, right?”

Lloyd placed a strong, glowing hand on Chen’s chest to give further proof, gripping the man’s shirt. Chen merely smirked and raised his hand.

“I know you want to kill me. Both of you,” Chen spoke slowly. “But I have something that’ll make you think twice about that.”

“Like _what?_ ” Skylor asked sharply, already bringing the knife down to her father’s chest beside Lloyd’s hand. 

“Her,” Chen used his other arm to point in the direction of Harumi, who was standing nervously as far as she could go without the chains digging into her ankles. “If you kill me, she goes too.”

“How?” Lloyd spoke in disbelief, looking at Chen as if he had gone mad.

“Clouse...ah!” Chen choked again, still struggling against Skylor’s hand. “Clouse performed another spell...that would make sure that...no one would try to...Ach!...pull anything...”

“What kind of spell?” Lloyd yelled.

“Our life forces...ach...were bound together in some sort of...dyad...” Chen gasped for air. “We did it when she was sleeping-ach! If you kill me...she dies with me...”

Lloyd furiously turned around to look back at Clouse, who was lying on the ground still, unconscious from Lloyd’s attacks. Lloyd felt several emotions pass through him and leave almost as soon as they arrived. Confusion, anger, hate, pity, sorrow...and now worry, as Lloyd looked over at Harumi. He looked down at his hands and shook his head in guilt, allowing for the powers to pass away from him.

“No, you...” Skylor started to stress out, running a hand through her hair. “You can’t do this, I was so close! You cheater!” She now held her knife at Chen’s throat, and he laughed at her.

“I thought you were an _assassin_ , Skylor,” Chen scoffed. “You’ve killed dozens, maybe even hundreds of people. Now, you come to me, the one who _gave_ you those jobs, and you hesitate because of a princess you were sent to kill in the first place?”

“I changed my mind,” Skylor’s eyes narrowed. “Because unlike my other targets, she hadn’t done anything wrong. Now, because of you, killing my biggest enemy will also kill an innocent woman.” After a long pause, Skylor finally let go of Chen’s neck and shoved him to the ground, not giving him a second thought.

“Should I lock him up?” Lloyd asked.

Skylor nodded solemnly. 

Harumi stood emotionless, looking down at the man who had seemingly sealed her fate.


	9. Healing Wrists

Chen’s weakened, beat up form was thrown into a cell much like the one he had kept Lloyd and Harumi in. Skylor stood with her arms folded, glaring at her father with confusion and frustration as he attempted to sit up on the cold stone floor. The second his eyes met hers, Skylor felt the urge to turn away.

“So, now what?” Chen asked, but for once it was more of a defeated but curious tone rather than his usual insulting tone he often used with his daughter.

Skylor considered answering, but decided instead to leave him with the burden of silence, and turned to leave.

“What will you do with my island?” Chen asked louder this time, even leaking a bit of fear in his voice. He was still watching her hopefully when Skylor looked back at him and shook her head in disbelief.

“That isn’t any of your concern, Father.”

“But Lloyd and Harumi...you’re just going to let them walk freely?” Chen scoffed. “After all of our efforts to imprison them?”

Skylor knew better not to, but the idea of rubbing her plan in Chen’s face didn’t sound half bad. He clearly wasn’t acting as miserable as she had hoped yet. “Well...” Skylor smirked, walking back over to the cell. “As you know, Lloyd and I came to a mutual agreement.”

“Yes, you mentioned quite intensely how I had ‘given you the best one’ as you beat me to a pulp,” Chen groaned.

Skylor nodded. “Well, I have both Lloyd _and_ Harumi’s trust, at least for the most part, and in doing so, I’ve solidified my chances against Ninjago City.”

“You’re planning an invasion on the capital?” Chen looked at his daughter in surprise. “I didn’t expect something so bold so quickly.”

“I’ve had plenty of time to think about this,” Skylor shrugged. “Now that I’ve finally taken control of the island, the conquest I’ve dreamed about since I was a teenager can finally come to fruition. I will combine my powers and forces with the abilities of _other_ promising allies, something you never even considered.”

“Allies are too risky,” Chen laughed scornfully. “You let them get in too close, and before you know it, they’ve run a sword through you from behind. You trust too much.”

“You’d be surprised, this is really a first for me,” Skylor raised an eyebrow as she watched Chen struggle to stand up. “I hope you don’t mind, but I dealt with your staff right after you passed out, so don’t even try looking for it.”

“You...” Chen began stuttering, clearly flabbergasted. “I...you destroyed it?”

Skylor merely left him with painful silence as she walked away, and this time she didn’t look back.

* * *

Kai had been ranting about their situation for minutes on end as he and the rest of the factory workers were escorted into the main temple by a pair of guards. They hadn’t explained what was going on, except for something about “the mistress wanting their attention.” Kai knew from the start that it was Skylor, but it made him even more upset to think about what she would do with them.

“You guys know I never liked her from the start,” Kai narrowed his eyes, speaking distastefully. 

“Yes, we know, Kai,” Nya rolled her eyes at her brother’s quick complaints. “We’re not sure why Skylor wants us, you have no idea if it’s bad or not. Maybe she’s placing us in a better workplace.”

“Doubt it,” Cole laughed bitterly. 

As they were led inside the main throne room, they all let out a collective gasp at the woman who now sat in Chen’s respective seat. Skylor smirked at the prisoners as she crossed her legs and straightened her large soft coat that only someone of her new position could afford. “Greetings, everyone. I know you’re all confused, but there’s been a change in management around here.”

It was now that Nya noticed Lloyd and Harumi standing on either side of Skylor’s throne, but this time they were completely unchained. Nya nudged Walker, and he simply nodded, having noticed the same thing already.

“Your _Master_ Chen has been defeated, and a stronger, younger ruler has taken his place,” Skylor smiled confidently, straightening her shoulders. “My first official order as Mistress of the Island is to free all prisoners and workers from bondage, so that you may walk freely on the island.”

Many slaves and workers celebrated around Kai, Nya, Cole, and Walker, but these few still seemed unsure of Skylor’s promise. 

As to only emphasize her intent, Skylor pulled out a device from her coat and pressed a button that suddenly caused all of the chains on the workers and slaves to come loose and fall to the ground. Dozens of relieved voices cried out at once, and Skylor couldn’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction at doing something that made so many people joyful. It was still a strange thing for her, but it felt oddly well-deserved on the slaves’ part.

“She’s actually freed us,” Cole shook his head in disbelief before breaking into relieved laughter. “Who knew that Skylor would be the one to set us free?”

“I want to know what the catch is,” Kai grumbled, but Walker grasped his shoulder in an effort to calm him down.

“Whatever the case, we shouldn’t squander this chance,” Walker spoke slowly, but even he couldn’t hold back his smile. “We were planning an elaborate escape using your powers, but now Skylor’s made it so much simpler.”

“ _Maybe,_ ” Kai shrugged, still not convinced. “We’ll see.”

“My father’s cultists and warriors will stay by my side here on the island, but as for the rest of you...” Skylor paused for effect. “You’re all going home.”

Even more cheers erupted from the dozens of slaves.

“Now, I am _not_ going to be locating each of your homes and all of that, that would take too much time that I don’t wish to waste,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “So, you’ll all be loaded onto a ferry and dropped off at the main Ninjago City harbor. From there, you will be responsible for your own safety.” Skylor looked around before clapping her hands together and standing to her feet. “Alright, everyone, go get your things if you have any, the ferry ships out in four hours.”

The doorways were crowded with the many slaves and servants pushing each other around and budging as they rushed off to get ready to taste freedom once again. Still, Kai, Cole, Nya, and Walker stayed by, as well as the pirates. Samukai, Killow, and Ultra Violet reluctantly followed the rest of the prisoners out of the room.

Skylor leaned over to whisper something to Harumi before looking over at the remaining slaves with a smile. “Ah, my former pirate cellmates, _and_ the pirate that put me in chains.” She placed a hand on her hip and an amused glint glazed over her eye. “After all this time, you can go home.”

“Why should we trust the woman who sabotaged our ship and traded us over to Chen in the first place?” Flintlocke challenged Skylor, and she simply shrugged.

“I guess you’ll just have to make a decision to trust me anyway,” she spoke coolly, folding her arms. “I promise you that I have no secondary intentions, I merely want to get rid of all of these slaves that I no longer have need for.”

“How do you plan on running an island and crime organization without workers?” Walker raised a brow.

“As I said, Captain, there will be a change in management around here,” Skylor assured him. “My plans for this island and it’s warriors will be very different than my father’s selfish way of life, but that is ultimately none of your concern.” She waved them along. “Please, go be merry or whatever. You have your freedom, I won’t even go after you for keeping me captive.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just difficult to believe anything from the mouth of a girl who probably lies regularly to get a job done,” Kai spoke venomously, glaring daggers into Skylor who simply laughed at him. 

“Your hotheadedness is well founded, but I assure you that I fully intend to transport you and your sister back to Ninjago City so you can return to your shop and keep making weapons,” Skylor walked over to Kai and looked him over amusedly. “Perhaps, if you can manage to see me as anything more than a slaver, we could arrange for you and your sister to provide me with weapons as your parents provided for my father.”

“Yeah, no thanks,” Kai shook his head and tried to give Skylor the sign to leave, but she stayed there firmly.

“I will pay you well,” Skylor offered again, shrugging. “Either way, I can get _any_ old blacksmith to make me weapons, but I couldn’t help but notice how slow business has been for you two lately. I...” Skylor groaned, running a hand down her face. “I _want_ to help you out.”

Nya and Kai looked at each other in shock for a few moments before Nya spoke up. “We’ll discuss it.” Kai glared at his sister, but she ignored him. “We appreciate the offer.”

Skylor nodded. “Give me an answer before you leave, and we’ll sort out the details later on.”

“One more thing,” Cole cleared his throat, gaining Skylor’s attention. “The elemental and princess you have standing beside your throne – what about them?”

Skylor thought for a moment before she noticed Lloyd and Harumi walk over behind her, almost on cue. “Well, I believe I made a promise to you, Lloyd.”

“Yes, you did,” Lloyd nodded, but he almost looked relieved that she had kept her word. “However, I would prefer to have my own transport aside from the rest.” He looked over at the others and shook his head. “Where I am going, they cannot be.”

“Now _that_ is an extra privilege that we did not discuss when we made our deal,” Skylor stated firmly, but still smirked at the young man mischievously. “I’m sure that the ferry will bring you close enough to where you need to be, and you can travel the rest on your own. Don’t come making requests of me while I now rule the island.”

“All because of what _I_ did for you,” Lloyd pointed out.

“And for that, I am grateful, and I’m _giving_ you a way home as I promised. Take it or leave it.” Skylor waved Lloyd off, but he persisted.

“And I’m _not_ leaving until we fix her,” Lloyd insisted, grabbing Skylor’s arm and forcing her to look at Harumi. Skylor would normally have shook him off or punched him, but she was unfortunately used to him grabbing her by now with all of their arguments. Lloyd had a hell of a grip, and Skylor knew better than to aggravate him more.

“I don’t know what to do about it,” Skylor admitted.

“Wait, what happened?” Nya questioned, almost tempted to stand by Lloyd’s side and join his protest.

Skylor sighed. “My father had Clouse perform some sort of spell that bound his spirit with Harumi’s, and that means that if he dies, she will die with him. Unfortunately, Lloyd _destroyed_ Clouse’s spellbook,” Skylor glared at Lloyd.

“What else was I supposed to do?” Lloyd shook his head in disbelief.

“Are you going to let go of me?” Skylor rolled her eyes.

“I’m not sure yet, you haven’t given me much reason to,” Lloyd narrowed his eyes.

“Well, we need to take Princess Harumi back with us,” Cole stated firmly. “She doesn’t belong here with you.”

Lloyd tensed up, and Skylor quickly realized that this was going to conflict with what she had already promised him. “Well, that may not be as easy as you believe.”

“Why?” Kai asked, even more impatient than before. “She needs to be kept somewhere safe from Garmadon _and_ Chen, whether Chen is behind bars or not.”

Skylor sighed. “I promised her to Lloyd.”

Kai’s face twisted into some kind of hateful expression, and he felt like lunging out to attack the son of Garmadon where he stood. “You...why would you want her promised to you?”

“Please, Kai,” Harumi slowly raised her hand to stop the inevitable conflict. “Don’t judge Lloyd for wanting to do what’s right.” 

“What’s right?” Kai scoffed. “He’s evil, don’t you think he’ll just hand you over to Garmadon?”

Harumi looked over at Lloyd and gave him a soft smile, which he surprisingly returned. “He won’t.”

“That...that’s weird,” Cole tried to shake off any sort of illusion he was seeing. “Are you two...”

“ _No,_ ” Harumi interjected, but didn’t go any father than that. 

“It doesn’t matter what you all think, because it’s already been decided,” Skylor reminded the group and placed her hand on Harumi’s shoulder. “Go with Lloyd, I have seen how well he treats you. If you truly must remain under the radar, you at least deserve to hide with someone you trust.”

“I don’t like this,” Kai grumbled.

“Neither do I, but we must respect Harumi’s call on this one,” Walker said before adjusting his eyepatch and turning to face Flintlocke. Then he turned back after realizing something important. “Where’s my ship?”

Skylor’s eyes widened, as if she had completely forgotten. “Oh yes, the _Misfortune’s Keep,_ isn’t it? Don’t worry, we have it parked among a bunch of tall trees several miles from this palace. It hasn’t been tampered with beyond what I had to do to bring it down in the first place, so it should still work.”

“So I can leave on that instead,” Walker assumed. “And I can give these folks a ride back as well?”

Skylor pondered his request before nodding. “Yes, you may leave on your ship instead. I guess it’s only fair to give you back your original means of transport.”

Harumi thought for a moment and then nudged Lloyd’s arm, suggesting a better idea for the two of them. “Why don’t we go with them?”

“Taking Lloyd on that ship _again_?” Kai snorted. “Yeah, right!”

“You can both go with us,” Walker answered with little thought.

* * *

As the _Misfortune’s Keep_ prepared to take to the skies once more, Skylor came over to see them off. She shook hands with Lloyd as their alliance finally came to an end, and she nodded to Harumi.

“I’m sorry I could not undo the spell, but I will let you know if I find a solution,” Skylor assured Harumi with a smile. “Whatever the case, until then, enjoy your freedom without worry. I’ll make sure my father stays alive just so he can rot away in that dungeon.”

“I understand,” Harumi nodded back sadly. 

“You still have my offer,” Skylor reminded Lloyd with a smirk tugging at her lips. “We work pretty well together, I think.”

Lloyd thought for a moment before nodding his head. “Yeah. I still can’t stand your attitude, though.”

“Just as I can’t stand your stubbornness,” Skylor rolled her eyes and turned to leave. “Just...consider my offer again, and let me know if you change your mind.”

Lloyd laughed sarcastically. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

Within a few more moments, the _Keep_ rose into the sky and the loud turbines scared away a few critters that woke from their sleep. The ship flew off and the group looked back until the island was only a tiny speck in the distance.

“Good riddance,” Cole chuckled, and turned to go find something to eat. He left Kai and Nya standing on the edge of the deck, watching the great infinite waters, while Lloyd and Harumi followed closely behind Cole.

“You might have been right, Kai,” Nya spoke softly, almost too soft for her brother to hear. He looked over at her with a confused eyebrow raised, and Nya shook her head in misery. “About Captain Walker...”

“What about him?” Kai asked.

“Exactly what you’ve been claiming about him since the beginning,” Nya huffed, but now she was less upset with Kai about it and more so angry with Walker. “He wouldn’t even give me a straight, honest answer about why he did what he did.”

“When he handed Harumi over to Chen?” Kai questioned.

“Not just that,” Nya shook her head again. “If I asked him now, he probably couldn’t give me a straight answer about capturing us, either. It’s sort of difficult to try and justify the actions of a pirate, I see that now.”

“You’re right,” Kai nodded, looking back at the pirate crew. “He’s not all bad, though.”

Now was Nya’s turn to raise a confused and unconvinced eyebrow. “Whoa, now all of the sudden our opinions on him are swapped?”

“Good heavens, no,” Kai gave a slightly dark chuckle, but Nya knew it was all in good fun. “I still don’t like the guy, but anyone can change.”

Nya thought for a moment about the elemental and princess staying somewhere in the hold with Cole. “Even Lloyd?”

Kai’s face dropped, explaining without words that he still didn’t like discussing this subject. Kai rubbed the back of his neck and tried to stare at the water as he contemplated how to respond to Nya’s query. “He’s protected Princess Harumi, but that’s all I’ve seen from him. Either way, he’s headed back to Garmadon after this, right? I don’t trust anyone involved with that monster, especially not his son.”

Nya nodded silently before coming across another realization. “Skylor saw something in him.”

Kai snorted, clearly not interested in discussing that woman whom he had despised from the start. “She’s an assassin and a _backstabber_. She literally betrayed her own father to take his island and army. Whatever she _saw_ in him is irrelevant.”

“How so?”

“Why don’t _you_ explain first?” Kai folded his arms. “Give me one good reason to even consider that Skylor saw something _good_ in Lloyd when she herself has only spread evil and death.”

“She spared them both,” Nya pointed out, referring to both Lloyd and Harumi. “You heard her yourself, Skylor didn’t want to see Harumi get hurt.”

“Even though she was responsible for anchoring the ship on the island and letting her father collect the prize in the first place,” Kai rolled his eyes.

“Like you just said about Walker,” Nya sighed. “Anyone can change.”

“So who are you trying to justify now?” Kai asked amusedly. “Are we still talking about Lloyd or are you now trying to convince me that Skylor is a secret saint?”

“You’re impossible,” Nya groaned, and stared back at the ocean before looking at her brother hopefully. “We’ve made a good friend in Cole, and I don’t think it would be impossible to try the same thing with Lloyd.” She scrunched her nose. “Well, maybe.”

“Befriending Lloyd is on a whole different plane than befriending _Cole_ ,” Kai patted his sister’s shoulder and began to walk off to the hold entrance. “Maybe I’ll change my mind when Lloyd actually turns over a new leaf and ditches his father’s ways.”

“Kai,” Nya extended her voice to stop him one more time, and finally admitted what she had been pondering for days. “Lloyd’s one of those other elemental masters Wu told us about. Maybe it’s destiny that we befriend him.”

Kai thought, and then laughed. 

* * *

As the _Keep_ came into a 35 mile distance of the harbor, Walker briefed the passengers quickly. “In another fifteen minutes or so, I’m dropping you all off, and we can go our separate ways.” He smiled around at the others, and found that most of them smiled back.

Lloyd was the only one who wasn’t smiling, unsurprisingly. The boy was seated at the dining table and attempted to focus his powers in a less harmful way to heal the cuts on Harumi’s wrists left from the chains. Skylor had made it sound so simple, and yet he had already done this successfully before without even realizing. 

Harumi let out a slightly disturbed “hrmm” as the bright green energy pulsed around her arm, and Lloyd learned to adjust his output according to her reaction. From her facial features, to the heavy beat of her heart, to the occasional glance she would give him, Lloyd managed to understand her silent complaints quickly and make the process less stressful for the both of them.

Cole sat beside Lloyd and took a sip from his coffee, looking down at the green glow with raised eyebrows. “That’s pretty impressive. Your powers can actually heal wounds?”

Lloyd nodded, and when Cole began to assume he wouldn’t get much noise out of him, Lloyd followed up by saying, “I’m still tweaking my technique, but it’s proved very useful so far.” He looked over at Cole’s own wrists and slowly nodded to himself. “I can assist you with your injuries if you don’t mind the slight discomfort at the beginning.”

Before Cole could even thank Lloyd for considering him, he had to ask. “Discomfort?”

Lloyd nodded again. “Her wrists are much smaller than yours,” he gestured with his free hand to Harumi, and then looked back over at Cole. “It’ll take me a bit of trial and error to get used to your larger wrists. Do you work out?”

“Um...sometimes?” Cole replied with a confused smile. “Why do you ask? Is it really that noticeable?”

“Somewhat,” Lloyd shrugged. “And I only ask because a stronger build might actually make things easier. I have to be a lot more careful with her.” He looked up at Harumi, who still nervously watched him work, and she rolled her eyes.

“Alright, alright, no need to go on calling me ‘fragile’.”

“I didn’t,” Lloyd answered simply and kept working. “You’re actually surprisingly strong for your size, I just don’t want to accidentally make things worse.”

Cole sat back and confusedly but also adoringly watched the two interact, and found himself pleasantly surprised at how caring Lloyd really was for her. Maybe he wasn’t nearly as bad as he expected. Cole was sure if he made a comment about Lloyd ‘going soft’ he would probably receive a punch to the arm or something, but he still kinda wished he could bring it up. Lloyd’s attitude change was interesting.

“Does that feel better?” Lloyd asked Harumi as he finally loosened his grip on her wrists and allowed for the bright energy to dissipate.   
  
Harumi looked down at her healed wrists, her eyes widening at the perfectly unblemished skin she found there, and nodded. “Good as new. Thank you,” she smiled at Lloyd with clear appreciation, but Cole could have sworn he noticed a bit of heat rise to the princess’ cheeks.

Lloyd simply nodded and gave Harumi a small smile before turning to Cole. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Cole assured Lloyd confidently, but he still had no idea what to expect it to feel like. As Lloyd held Cole’s wrists and closed his eyes in concentration, Cole could quickly feel a bit of warm energy surround his hands in a spherical shape, with a dull glow that steadily grew brighter. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as it tickled. Cole stifled a laugh before he finally felt a surge of offensive energy sting his wrists. He buckled back by instinct, and Lloyd managed to recover him and place his wrists together again quickly.

“I told you it would take a few moments to focus,” Lloyd reminded Cole, and he nodded.

“Yeah, you were right. It feels fine now.” Cole watched in awe as the skin on his wrists came back together almost magically, completely healing over the scars and cuts that had been left there. With each passing moment, the feeling of Lloyd’s power grew more and more bearable until Cole could hardly feel it at all.

As Lloyd finished, and his powers disappeared from both their hands, Cole let out a chuckle, looking his arms over as if he were living in a dream. “This...this is so weird.” He turned to Lloyd and smiled. “Thank you, you didn’t have to help me.”

Lloyd’s face nearly grew pale, as if he had no idea how to respond to someone thanking him – other than Harumi, of course.

“You, uh,” Lloyd cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.” As he stood up to leave, Cole spoke again.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to do now?” Cole asked, silently hoping that the guy would reconsider rejoining his father and do something less cruel. 

Lloyd once again seemed to be lost for words, and Harumi opened her mouth, almost as if to speak for him, but then shut it. She, along with Cole, seemed to be interested in knowing as well. 

“I’m not sure,” Lloyd answered vaguely, but decided against leaving the room and walked over to the window to watch the ocean. Harumi stood up, probably to prod him for an answer again, and Cole found him filled with a childish curiosity that he would feel embarrassed about later, but not now.

So Cole followed closely behind Harumi as they stood by Lloyd again, and he looked at them both amusedly. “You two don’t need to worry about me, and your wrists are healed if you’re worried I missed anything.”

“It’s not that, Lloyd,” Harumi shook her head. “I just want you to explain to me what kind of a place someone with a changed heart like you has in the counsel of a warlord so dark and cruel.” Lloyd flinched, but Harumi held his arm to ensure he wouldn’t lash out or do anything brash. “Surely, you don’t feel the same as you did when we were first on this ship.”

“Where else would I go?” Lloyd asked incredulously, looking back to the ocean. 

“Not to sound needy, but,” Harumi sighed, leaning in closer to him, “you said you would keep me somewhere safe. Do you really think your father will leave me alone?”

“He won’t know I have you,” Lloyd shook his head, but even he seemed very doubtful of that. He stood silently for a few more moments before looking at Cole, then back to Harumi, and the Cole again. “I don’t know if I can trust any of these civilians to keep you safe from my father. And besides,” he raised a fist and acted as if he were about to light it with green energy, but he didn’t. “You make out my sympathy towards you to be some sort of complete defiance against my father.”

“I wasn’t sure, but...”

“Well, it isn’t,” Lloyd emphasized again, shaking his head.

“But it could be!” Harumi raised her voice, trying to follow Lloyd’s eyes as they trailed away from her. She could feel him tense up and she instinctively let go of his arm. Still, Harumi didn’t move away, and continued to plead with him. “Lloyd, the people of Ninjago need a strong leader to help bring the land back to a state of peace. Your power isn’t by any means _evil_ – we just saw how much good you can do with it!”

Lloyd turned his head farther away.

“Lloyd...if you want what’s best for me, you have to realize that bringing me back to Garmadon’s fortress won’t bring about any good for me,” Harumi shook her head solemnly. “Even if you could hide my presence from him, I would just be living the rest of my life in a box, pretty much. No access to the outside world, no friends, no _purpose_...”

Lloyd continued to stand completely still and silent. He closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose as he thought. “You’re right, Harumi.”

Harumi couldn’t resist giving the boy a cocky, victorious smirk and placed a hand on her hip as she looked at him for more. “So, what’s your new plan then?”

Lloyd looked over at Harumi and grumbled softly, knowing he had lost the argument, but couldn’t help but smirk back. “I’ll let you know when I have one.”


	10. Uncontrolled

The _Misfortune’s Keep_ was nearing Ninjago City, finally, when Walker came across a new issue and let out a long groan. Putting his binoculars away, he climbed down the ladder to the hold where his passengers were and gave them the bad news.

“There’s _harbor_ police now?” Kai asked in disbelief, facepalming. 

“They have flying drones, too,” Walker nodded. “No ship gets in or out of the city without being registered now.”

“This is a flying ship,” Cole exclaimed, looking around. “Who cares what the people at the _harbor_ think?”

“Except that there’s no place in the city flat or big enough to land,” Flintlocke explained as he entered the room behind Doubloon and Clancee. “When we captured you initially, we used the winch and platform to come up to the ship, but now that the city is even more controlled, I have a feeling they would gun us down if we try hovering overhead.”

“Not taking a chance with that,” Walker laughed haughtily, shaking his head. “There’s no possible way to get in with the _Keep_ so...we’ll have to go back.”

“WHAT?” Kai shouted, looking like he was about to pull out a bit of his spiky hair right there. “Back to the island???”

“No, no,” Walker chuckled. “Back to _Wu._ ”

* * *

Wu was taken by surprise as he saw the large pirate ship land outside his monastery. Walking outside to greet his visitors, Wu gave them each a smile. “Ah, Jay- I mean, Captain Walker! I see you brought the gifted children again.” He looked around and smiled at Nya, Cole, and Kai.

“We need to talk inside, Wu,” Walker got straight to the point, and Wu quickly nodded, ushering them inside. As he held the door open for them and watched them enter one at time, Wu stumbled back at the sight of his nephew. No words came from the old man – he found it too difficult to even utter Lloyd’s name.

“Hello, Uncle Wu,” Lloyd nodded in greeting, not smiling but not frowning either. The two made eye contact for a moment before Lloyd continued inside, pulling Harumi behind him.

“By the grace of the _First Spinjitzu Master_ ,” Wu whispered to himself, and then shook it off and followed the group in.

“Let’s get to business,” Walker started, briefing Wu as the group all stood around on the large open training floor. “After we left your monastery last time, we were captured by Master Chen.”

“And you escaped?” Wu asked in surprise, looking around at the group. “I see his daughter is no longer with you, I assume that’s why?”

“She...came to an understanding with us,” Lloyd shrugged. “Either way, Skylor is no longer a problem, and neither is Chen.”

“That’s an overstatement,” Nya rolled her eyes. “Skylor is in control of the island now, and she definitely serves as a threat.”

“Moving along,” Walker butted in, continuing his explanation. “Lloyd has aided us for now, and has made sure to keep Princess Harumi safe.” 

Wu looked over at his nephew standing beside Harumi, and noticed Lloyd’s subtle but protective stance even in a calm conversation. “Why is it, Lloyd, that you have decided to take on such a different attitude now?”

Lloyd looked slightly offended at first, but quickly shook it off. “Rest assured, Uncle, I do not intend to kill anyone here, nor do I want to see any of you suffer at my father’s hand. It is not a sign of weakness, but of compassion, which has served me well so far.”

Wu still looked at his nephew quizzically but smiled. “You are so right, Lloyd.”

“We were wondering if...” Walker cleared his throat, “if Lloyd may be one of the elementals that you were talking about.”

Lloyd looked at both Walker and Wu as if he were fearful of it being true, and Wu stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“I _know_ he is,” Wu spoke slowly. “I knew it from his birth.”

Lloyd was silent and emotionless as everyone looked at him in surprise. Kai felt his anger bubbling a bit, and Nya seemed to notice, giving her brother a stern glare.

“What do you expect me to do?” Lloyd asked coldly, lowering his eyes. “Stay here and train?”

Wu looked like he was about to disagree, but paused and thought for another moment. “Actually, I don’t think that would be a bad start. As I hear, there’s still much of your power you haven’t even tapped into yet. I can teach you.”

“ _So he can kill us even faster_ ,” Kai whispered under his breath.

Lloyd was clearly about to discard the idea altogether, but reserved himself. With a long, tired sigh, he asked, “And how long would I stay here?”

The group looked around at each other, surprised that Lloyd was actually considering it. Wu seemed a bit confused, but no longer surprised.

“You could stay here as long as you like,” Wu offered, and it truly did feel like it came out of his kind heart. “Not just for training, but for housing as well.”

“My father needs me,” Lloyd’s voice almost growled, even causing Harumi to jolt back for a moment. “You have no idea what importance I have.”

“Oh?” Wu asked amusedly, standing to his feet and resting his weight against his walking stick. The old man looked into his nephew’s eyes attentively. “You will find that your father has little need for help from anyone these days, not even from elementals.”

“You’re wrong,” Lloyd shook his head confidently. “Skylor told me herself, she’s planning on rearranging Chen’s cultists into an army to attack the capital. My father needs all the help he can get.”

Wu chuckled quietly to himself. “Skylor’s forces will be crushed, as will she.”

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at the man. “How do you know?”

“She’s overconfident and thinks she’s incredibly powerful...which she is, I’ll grant her,” Wu nodded to himself, “but she’s never fought your father. Skylor will confront him in combat, yes, and she will _lose. Badly_.” Wu then raised his stick to lightly whack Lloyd across the chin. “Up, up! If you wish to stay here, you must train!”

“I never agreed to anything.”

“Of course,” Wu nodded. “You just need more reassuring.” With that, Wu brought himself into a fighting stance and gestured with his fingers for Lloyd to attack.   
  
The blonde merely looked at his uncle impatiently, shaking his head. “I don’t need your help, Uncle.”

“Well, there’s your answer, let’s get out her-“ Kai was cut off as his sister placed her hand across his mouth.

“Attack me,” Wu demanded firmly, twirling his staff around a few times in his hands as he kept his attention still. Lloyd reluctantly brought himself into a stance of his own, although Wu quickly noticed some issues and chuckled. “Spread your legs more.”

“Excuse me?”

“With your legs together so close like that, it won’t take any more than a swift kick to your legs to make you topple over,” Wu explained, smiling beneath his long white beard. “You need to firmly plant your feet on the ground, slightly bend your knees, and _spread your legs_ a little.”

Lloyd nodded, although he still seemed a bit stubborn, and did as Wu told him. Lloyd’s legs spread out a bit more, and he brought his hands in front of his face.

“Attack,” Wu repeated again, and Lloyd obeyed.

With a quick but rushed motion, Lloyd shot his body forward in a strike, sending his fisted hand towards Wu’s chest. This attack was almost effortlessly blocked as Wu caught the punch in his own hand, and then spun himself around Lloyd’s back to bend his arm back around.

Lloyd let out a pained groan, and fought to no avail to release his arm. 

“You have no finesse, no _style_ ,” Wu pointed out. “Your lack of training outside of your own powers will be your downfall in some scenarios.” Wu then let go of his nephew’s arm and allowed the boy to straighten himself again. “You must not rely solely on your elemental powers for all of your problems.”

“It’s worked well so far,” Lloyd sighed.

“Well, it won’t anymore,” Wu shook his head. “Not with me.” Wu then brought his stick back and down and walked over to the door. “I have plenty of space for you all to sleep for the night. Depending on when you think its safe to return to the city, it’ll be safest to stay here for now.”

Walker didn’t even bother arguing, waving for the group to follow behind him to take up Wu’s offer.

As Lloyd waited for everyone else to leave the training floor, he looked up at the night sky and let out a nervous breath. Garmadon’s call from the dark was somewhat strong tonight, and Lloyd tried to wave it off, at least for now.

Unknown to Lloyd, Harumi looked back into the darkness to watch Lloyd standing there.

* * *

Early in the morning, Harumi found herself craving something to eat. Being Chen’s slave girl had meant that she still got three meals a day, but they were small and hardly tasty at all. The princess scooted off of her bed and onto her feet, wriggling around her bare toes on the soft carpet. Harumi smiled as she felt the warmth and light from the sun outside shining on her through the window, something she had very much missed from when she lived in the Royal Palace.

Wu’s monastery had turned out to have far more bedrooms than she had expected, and it made her wonder why he still lived here alone. Harumi assumed this place was sacred and meant something deeper to the old man, but it still seemed a bit odd. What was even more surprising was how he had been in this monastery for so many years and hadn’t been found and arrested by Garmadon’s forces.

She would have to ask Wu later.

Harumi tiptoed quietly, making her way down the hallways and attempting to avoid waking anyone in the other rooms. One of the doors had slowly creaked open, and Harumi tried her hardest to leave, but she was met with the friendly face of Wu once again. 

“Good morning, your highness,” Wu smiled, bowing a bit in respect. Before Harumi could explain herself, he pressed her for an answer to a question. “Would you like to meditate?”

Harumi nodded, quicker than she could think, and followed Wu down the hall to another room with white papered walls with ancient writing scattered over it in red ink. Wu planted himself with his legs crossed on the floor, and Harumi sat across from him. It seemed Wu had already prepared for his own meditation the night before, because of a small plate of ashes and incense that he had left there.

“What is this for?” Harumi asked.

“This incense is for a precognitive substance that my father once called Spirit Smoke,” Wu explained, beginning to prepare it. “Sometimes it will grant me a vision of a helpless soul somewhere out of reach, or even give me a premonition of the future.” He looked down at the plate thoughtfully before looking back at Harumi. “But today, it is only here to calm your mind.”

The thick cloud of smoke began to rise supernaturally in front of Harumi’s eyes, and she closed her eyes uselessly, hoping that it would do its thing and not worry her. Eventually, Harumi found that Wu was right, and the smoke calmed her senses. “It feels as if all of my body’s functions have been dialed down,” she commented.

Wu nodded. “You need your mind, mouth, nose, and ears to meditate, not your legs.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Has your royal family had you meditate before?”

“As a young child, yes, but then as I grew into an older teenager, they forbade it,” Harumi answered, clearly not any more sure of the answer than Wu was.

“Puzzling,” Wu raised his eyebrows but still kept his eyes shut. “And how old are you now?”

“I’ll be 20 in a handful of months, sir,” Harumi spoke softly, thinking of how miserable her birthday would be if she ended up having to celebrate in Garmadon’s empire, or worse yet, without anyone else.

“You’re worried that Lloyd will lead you to an empty life,” Wu observed, and Harumi nodded.

“He has good intentions, but...”

“He’s still too loyal to his father,” Wu finished for her knowingly. “Lloyd has clearly gone under some sort of life-changing experience since Chen’s island, but it’s not complete. I’ve seen that he cares deeply for you, but his judgment is clouded.”

The smoke began to play at Harumi’s thoughts and suddenly she could relive those moments in that cell with Lloyd as if she were there again. 

_“You’re a whole lot nicer than anyone’s given you credit for.”_

_“No one really_ knows _me.”_

_“Except me, I guess.”_

Wu let out a thoughtful humming sound, making Harumi wonder if the smoke allowed him to see this too. “You alone are the reason he had second thoughts in the first place,” Wu noticed. “It may be that, whether particularly safe or not, your constant presence is what he needs to fully change, coupled with plenty of _training_ , of course.”

“You’re saying I should go back with him to the city anyways?” Harumi asked confusedly.

“He won’t leave,” Wu smiled to himself. “He’ll stay here for some time, and you can be right here with him. Even last night, I barely had to test him to realize he had already decided in his mind what he wanted to do.”

“You can tell that about people that fast?” Harumi raised an eyebrow, but still managed to keep her eyes shut. “Wow.”

“Of course, it’s important that the company you give him is a _beneficial_ and _encouraging_ one, or your being here could be just as much a detriment than it is a help,” Wu spoke carefully. “I will not force you, however.”

“No, no, I appreciate your offer, and I accept,” Harumi nodded. “This place feels safe, but not in any way I’ve felt before. It’s strange.”

“This monastery has served as a refuge and place of restoration for hundreds of students,” Wu explained with a smile. “I’m hoping Lloyd feels it as much as you do.”

Harumi smiled back lightly. “Lloyd seems to feel things a lot differently than I do.”

“But he cares for you just as you care for him,” Wu chuckled, waving the smoke away and standing to his feet. “I’ve waited for this day for years. You two may be the beginning of a significant restoration of Ninjago.”

“I hope so,” Harumi whispered, looking out the window to see Lloyd speaking with Walker outside. “He deserves more than this rotten life Garmadon’s given him.”

“That may be so, but it won’t be easy to get him to see that,” Wu began walking towards the door, gesturing for Harumi to follow. “Now, come. I’m sure you’re interested in having breakfast.”

* * *

Wu surprised Harumi once again, first with his quick cooking, and second with the realization that his bacon and eggs was even better than anything the cooks at the Royal Palace could whip up. 

“I don’t normally enjoy this sort of breakfast,” Wu laughed to himself as he watched the others dig in. “My usual breakfast most likely wouldn’t thrill any of you, so I figured I’d make something a bit closer to home.”

“It’s great, thanks!” Cole grinned, his mouth already full of bacon.

“So, what _is_ your regular breakfast?” Kai asked curiously.

“Dry rice and steamed peggle rib.”

“What’s a peggle?” Nya asked, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Some kind of fish?”

“It’s a large goat-like creature,” Wu corrected. “At least, I believe so.”

“Mmm, yummy,” Kai joked, nodding his head. “Yeah, you can keep your _goat_ meat, I like my bacon and eggs just fine.”

“So, Uncle,” Lloyd started, and it took everyone by surprise as if there had been a long silence that he had just broken. Everyone looked back from Lloyd to Wu and then back to Lloyd.

Wu looked up from his meal and nodded. “Yes?”

“How do you know so much?” Lloyd asked, not in a harsh or suspicious way, but out of mere curiosity and confusion. He raised a brow. “You say you know how I can fully control my powers, but...how?”

“Your father – my brother – is an elemental master, and my father was the First Spinjitzu Master,” Wu spoke as if the answer was obvious. “I’ve dedicated much of my life to studying the elements and the potential of them.”

“Then where did mine come from? My father?”

It was clear now that Lloyd didn’t really believe that anymore.

“No,” Wu shook his head. “I’m not completely certain if it is from my father, either. I do not remember him controlling some sort of green power.”

“On Chen’s Island, Skylor mentioned how she was unable to absorb Lloyd’s power,” Harumi brought up. “Are we even certain if his powers are...actually elemental?”

“Yeah, I mean, what kind of element is _green_?” Kai rolled his eyes.

“They _are_ elemental, I promise you,” Wu shook his head. “No power born out of magic or freak accidents can behave in such a perfect matter as the elements my father created. Magic always has a catch. Spells are never straightforward, nor are their results eternal.”

Harumi thought on this for a moment.

_“Our life forces...ach...were bound together in some sort of...dyad...”_

_“We did it when she was sleeping-ach! If you kill me...she **dies** with me...”_

Not unusual to anyone, Harumi was not fond of the idea of dying just because Chen’s sorry hide could get himself killed one day. When could it happen? She could be eating, or sleeping, or doing something really important, and suddenly... _snap!_ She could die right there.

Harumi looked over at Lloyd. She knew he was concerned about the spell too; he had questioned her in detail on the way back about everything she knew about it. Harumi knew Lloyd knew little more about magic than she did, however, and decided that staying here with someone like Wu was definitely the best idea. Lloyd could learn to control his power, maybe they could find a remedy for the spell, they could be _safe..._

“You alright?” Lloyd’s voice beckoned Harumi from her thoughts, and she lifted her eyes up from where she had unknowingly been staring at Lloyd’s neck, just off in space. Lloyd looked at her with a sympathetic smile. “You were looking at me and you looked really concerned. It’s not the cooking, is it?”

“I hope not,” Wu chuckled.

Harumi looked around and now noticed that the others had left the table when she was lost in thought. Now it was just her, Lloyd, and Wu, and she really didn’t mind that. She needed to talk with both of them.

“No, it’s not that, just,” Harumi sighed and held her forehead for a moment before looking back up at Lloyd and Wu. “I’m worried about this...spell.” Harumi gestured to her chest, specifically her heart, and Wu nodded knowingly.

“Lloyd told me about the spell, yes,” Wu spoke. “Fortunately for you, I think you have everything you need to solve this problem.”

“Really?” Harumi raised her eyebrow and looked over at Lloyd who seemed equally as puzzled.

“You told me before how Lloyd’s powers healed the cuts on your wrists,” Wu pointed out. “And before that, it healed your skin of _burns._ Very impressive considering he had never done it before.”

Harumi looked down at her arms, and then her legs, and had to agree. Her skin was perfectly unblemished, and without any reminder of that horrible torture she had endured. 

Wu stood up to grab a pot of tea from beside the table and placed it in front of Lloyd and Harumi. “This is a special brew of tea that my father relied on when sorcerers would threaten his power and try to curse him. It exposes the weakness of the spell so you can focus on exploiting and ending it.”

“Is it really that simple?” Harumi asked.

“I didn’t say this completely removed your troubles,” Wu shook his head. “The weakness will be brought to light, but it will take time and effort to deteriorate it. Effort from both of you.”

“You want me to focus my powers on the weakness?” Lloyd caught on.

“Yes, and it’s a good thing I’m here to teach you _how_ to control it,” Wu sighed. “Otherwise, if you tried to use your power on Harumi in an inexperienced state, it would be far riskier than healing skin. Your powers could end up tearing her in half.”

Harumi’s eyes widened and she looked at Lloyd again before breaking into nervous laughter. “Well, then, by all means, I can definitely wait until Lloyd is a _lot_ more trained.”

“Good,” Wu nodded. “Come along, Lloyd, there is much work to be done.”


	11. The Team

Ninjago City was bleak and seemingly empty if you only searched the streets or the malls. Citizens were too afraid to leave their homes during the day, as that was when it was easier for patrol to spot them. Many attempts to escape had been made, sure, but they had all resulted in arrest and imprisonment in the dungeon below Garmadon’s fortress. 

Emperor Garmadon sat on his throne, deep in thought, as visions flooded his mind. Ever since Lloyd left, he had been plagued with some sort of warning, and he tried to brush it off. 

“My emperor,” Kozu spoke as he entered the room and bowed before Garmadon. “Samukai and his team have not sent word back from Chen’s Island. I believe they were discovered.”

**“Yes,”** Garmadon hissed, having realized this already. **“Chen is an idiot, but he’s a powerful idiot. And so I assume you have no word on the location of my _son_?”**

“Well, sir, it seems that one of our scouts in the city claims to have seen the _Misfortune’s Keep_ flying outside the city before turning back and heading west. Captain Walker is the one who captured Lloyd, Skylor, _and_ the princess in the first place.”

**“Then it is very possible that he has them again. Send out more dropships, and search the oceans for any island that Captain Walker may be hiding out on.”**

“Y-yes, Emperor.”

**“Lloyd is strong, but he has much to learn about his power. I would rather you _find_ him and return him back to me before risking him falling under wrong influence.”**

* * *

The day came to an end, and Lloyd was sweating from the hours of rigorous training and discipline. The light gi that Wu had given him to wear had definitely been helpful, however. It was black, sleeveless, and made of a very breathable material that took Lloyd by surprise the first time he put it on.

“You will need this,” Wu held out another piece of clothing to Lloyd as the boy attempted to head inside for a shower. Lloyd took the cloth and examined it.

“A robber’s mask?”

“A _ninja’s_ mask,” Wu corrected, his voice filled with a bit of mystery as he watched Lloyd with a smile. “Ninja specialize in stealth, Nephew. Whatever path your life is taking, I am sure that this will be of help to you.”

“So that’s what you’re trying to make me into now?” Lloyd asked. “A ninja? I thought you called me an elemental master.”

“Far from a _master_ ,” Wu chuckled. “Elemental masters were those who fully discovered and embraced their true potential, using their elemental powers with full control and with mercy.” Wu stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Just earlier, you nearly blew up my pot of tea while you practiced your stances.”

“Then why do I need to be a ninja on top of that?”

“Because a ninja is _smart_ ,” Wu tapped the side of his head with the end of his stick. “Because a ninja exercises _wisdom_. Because a ninja is a title of honor and nobility.”

Lloyd looked at Wu, no longer with confusion, but with a small bit of understanding. “Okay. I’ll try this ninja thing. You’re sure this will make me more skilled with my power?”

Wu smiled and rested his hand on Lloyd’s shoulder as the walked inside. “I am fully certain, Lloyd. You will make a fine ninja.”

“I have one more question,” Lloyd continued as they shut the door.

“Yes?”

Lloyd’s mouth opened as if he were about to speak, but he closed it and thought again before asking, “Why do you trust me so much, let alone want to train me to be so much more powerful?”

Wu looked at Lloyd as if he had expected this question to come, but he did not answer.

“My father hates you,” Lloyd explained simply. “How were you so sure that I wouldn’t try killing you on the spot?”

Wu still stood silently before giving Lloyd a small smile and walking off. “I had faith. Good night, Lloyd.”

The old man entered his room and shut the door, leaving Lloyd standing there with his messy hair, wrinkled gi, and dumbstruck expression.

* * *

Lloyd tried so hard to wash away his conflicting emotions under the cold running water of the shower. He had lost track of the time by now. He was certain he had been showering for a suspiciously long time, but he didn’t care. The different things that had been said to Lloyd from Wu, Harumi, and even Cole were tugging at him and wouldn’t let go.

“I want to be _free,_ ” Lloyd whispered to himself out loud, not intentionally but he didn’t care. Free from what, though? Lloyd still wasn’t sure. Something, or _multiple_ somethings, became a burden that Lloyd wanted nothing more than to remove. Was it his worry for Harumi? His frustration with his power? Having to live with the people he had called his enemies? 

Lloyd kept pondering until he finally considered what he had been refusing to even suggest from the beginning...what Harumi had been pushing him to understand all this time.

Garmadon was the largest conflict; that was evident now. Everything that Lloyd was being told to be, and he _wanted_ to be, went against his father’s vision. This whole ordeal, starting on Walker’s ship, and then Chen’s Island, on the ship again, and now here...

Lloyd held his head down and lightly punched the wall of the shower, shaking his head in frustration as the streams of water ran down his face and threatened to slip into his eyes. Lloyd reached over to grab the shampoo and hoped he could move on and not have to worry about this anymore. Of course, none of that worked, and as he ran the sticky, soapy substance through his hair with his fingers, Lloyd’s thoughts continued to dwell on his recent decisions and actions.

Saving and protecting Harumi, working with Skylor to defeat Chen, healing Cole, moving in with his uncle whom his father hated...

It all seemed so wrong, and if Lloyd had seen his future a few weeks before this, he would have laughed.

Everyone here was an enemy of Garmadon, and now Lloyd was wondering if he would now be considered one as well.

* * *

“Good morning, morning, morning!” Wu’s cheery voice called throughout the halls of the Monastery, ushering in yet another day of preparation. “Evil never sleeps, and neither should you!”

“Ugh, _Wu,_ ” Kai grumbled as he rolled onto his side and blinked several times to adjust to the light. “We just got out from being _slaves_ , can’t we sleep in just a day?”

“Just get up, Kai,” Cole rolled his eyes as he hopped down from the top bunk and whacked Kai’s face with a pillow. “If Wu let you sleep in, you’d never get out.”

Kai only grumbled to himself again and got to his feet, reluctantly walking over to the dresser to grab the clothes Wu had prepared for them. He held up the black gi and laughed amusedly. “This _definitely_ looks like something the mountain people would wear.”

“Mountain people?” Cole raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, you know, people who live up here in the mountains like Wu. My parents used to tell me stories about them before they were gone. They wear thin, black clothes, and sometimes...” Kai trailed off as he confirmed his suspicions and held up the black mask. “Sometimes they wear masks like this.”

“I have one too,” Cole nodded.

“What is this, does he want us to all wear matching outfits around here or something?” Kai joked, not noticing Wu enter the room.

Wu cleared his throat, causing Kai to whip his head around in surprise. “That gi is a uniform of honor. Today I will be training you. _All_ of you. And you will wear that gi with pride.” With that, Wu left the room again, and Kai and Cole looked at each other confusedly before putting the gis on and following the man to the outside training grounds.

“Kai, Cole, what’s up?!!” Nya called from where she was standing on an elevated platform. Several spinning dummies came at her quickly, and the girl managed to narrowly dodge them. “You guys should have gotten up earlier, this is quite a workout!”

Sure enough, Nya was dressed in a black gi much like their own, and seemed to be enjoying it.Wu chuckled quietly. “Your friend Nya here has already broken into her new gi rather well. She’s been working on the training course for over an hour.”

“Huh,” Kai snickered, shaking his head in disbelief. “Who knew she would be so excited about running and dodging.”

“You’ll be doing much more than _running and dodging,_ ” Wu assured Kai with a gleam in his eye, handing the boy a long silver sword. Kai looked down at it in awe and unsheathed it, looking up and down the length of its blade. 

“A _katana_ ,” Kai gasped. “And not just any katana...”

“It was forged from the rarest metal in Ninjago, found only beneath the active volcanoes beyond these mountains.” Wu sighed before taking the sword back from Kai and placing it back in its sheath. “However, you will have to earn this blade. For now...” Wu grunted as he turned around to pick up a wooden box and dropped it at Kai’s and Cole’s feet. “Whatever weapons you find in here will be your own.”

“Nunchucks, swords, spears, throwing stars...” Cole went on as he pulled out numerous items from the box. “Quite the assortment. Do you make anything quite like this, Kai? Y’know, at your blacksmith shop?”

“Well, yeah,” Kai shrugged, not really concerned about Cole’s question as he examined another, far less expensive katana. “I have a feeling these are _way_ older than mine, though.”

“My brother and I forged some of these weapons when we were children,” Wu smiled.

“I’m not sure which is more surprising,” Cole laughed. “That these weapons are older than us, or that _Garmadon_ helped craft them.”

“I assure you, there is nothing _evil_ about them,” Wu rolled his eyes. “They are only weapons, and you will be mastering them over the next several lessons.” After leaving the two boys to continue looking through the box, Wu walked over to his metal gong and rang it loudly, ushering Nya to come back down and for his other student to arrive.

“I’m here,” Lloyd assured Wu as he jogged over. “Sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“That is alright,” Wu nodded. “Now, I want you all to line up, shoulder to shoulder, and I’d had better not have to repeat anything.”

“Seems like we may have a strict teacher on our hands,” Kai whispered to Cole. He looked down at his feet, and then over at Nya and Lloyd, who stood shoulder to shoulder at his left, and Cole who stood at his right shoulder.

“Your training will be done _together,_ ” Wu emphasized as he looked at the four elementals thoughtfully. “You will have opportunities to practice what you learn on your own, but from now on everything you do will be done together.”

“Everything?” Kai raised an eyebrow. “You’re just referring to training, right?”

Wu merely gave Kai a cryptic smirk, leaving the four young adults to look at each other with wide eyes. “The full extent of my rule will become clear soon enough. For now, it is time that we address the importance of your training: self-discipline.” Wu paused as he looked at Cole, then Kai, then Nya, and then Lloyd each at a time. “Not to become the most powerful, but to discipline yourself. Your powers are gifts that many have abused for their own benefit, and that is not something my students will be engaging in. By the time we are done, and you all have become masters, you will not give in to that temptation.”

As Wu spoke, Lloyd looked over and noticed Harumi coming to sit at the porch to watch, and they exchanged small smiles before Lloyd quickly looked back at Wu to avoid being yelled at. Lloyd still was very conflicted about Harumi since his shower the night before, but he couldn’t help but feel glad that she was here.

“You have each discovered your powers by now, correct?” Wu asked, and they each nodded.

Kai grinned as he held up a fist and caused a fury of flames to engulf it. “I’ve already gotten a good start, see?”

Wu narrowed his eyes but chuckled again. “Perhaps, but what have you accomplished? Your sleeve has gone aflame.”

Kai looked down at his sleeve and jolted back, waving his arm around. “AH! Ah, ah, ah, ah! How did this happen?”

“That would be what normally will happen when a man has his fist on fire,” Wu began, walking over to Kai’s arm and twisting his hands over his sleeve. When he removed his hands, the flames were gone. “But a true _master_ of the fire knows no such complications.”

“How did you-“ Kai sputtered, looking at Wu’s hands and then at his sleeve. “You just...”

Wu merely gave a wink and smiled. “Your element is not the only one that could bring about unintentional accidents. Cole’s earth could get himself stuffed in the ground, Nya’s water could completely drench herself without reason, and even Lloyd’s energy could have hazardous effects on his body if not used properly.” Wu looked at the students as they considered his warnings. “No element is perfect until the user is perfected.”

Over the next several hours, Wu had the group practice dozens of stances and recovery exercise as he watched. Lloyd would send a kick towards Nya’s stomach, and she would have to quickly pick herself back up to return him with a kick of her own. Cole and Kai did the same, but were far less successful in their attempts as Cole felt the weight of his powers holding him back.

“Earth is strong, and yes, it’s heavy, but you can use it in ways no one else can,” Wu explained, walking over behind Cole. “Your powers _are_ your foundation, Cole. If you cannot recover fast enough, plant your feet strong and don’t let anything take you down to the ground. The earth is all around you.”

Cole nodded and tried again, this time keeping his balance as Kai’s next kick came. He used his stance to grab Kai’s leg and twist him around, pushing Kai down onto the cold stone belly-first.

“Ow,” Kai groaned, as he waited for Cole to let go of him. 

“So,” Cole started as he helped Kai up and watched Wu walk away. “Why do you think Walker isn’t getting trained with us? He’s an elemental, too.”

“Yeah, what else is he doing, anyway?” Kai agreed. “This whole monastery is meant for training. Plus, I’m sure he has a lot more experience than any of us do.” Kai stopped and sighed. “He makes me really frustrated. I should probably hold my tongue.”

“Because of Nya?”

“Yeah, because of Nya!” Kai nodded his head quickly and turned around to make sure Nya was too distracted by her training with Lloyd to overhear their conversation. “Our opinions on Walker keep swapping time and time again. Some days she sounds like she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, and other days it sounds like she just wants to leave and forget he ever came into her life. Either way...” Kai leaned in to whisper. “I get the feeling there’s a pretty significant age gap between him and my sister.”

“Nope,” Cole shook his head.

“What do you mean, ‘nope’?”

“Walker and I are friends now,” Cole explained, shrugging his shoulders. “We figured out the age gap thing. He’s only two years older.”

Kai’s eyes widened. “Wait, he’s _my_ age?”

Cole nodded. “We always figured he was older, but I guess he’s been in this pirate business since he was a teenager.”

“Is there a problem, boys?” Nya’s curt voice caused Kai and Cole to both shrink back. She stood there with her hands on her hips. “I heard you were talking about me.”

Kai froze. “Ummmm, no?”

Nya frowned. “You guys, I honestly don’t care how you feel about Walker, and to be perfectly honest, I’m not really concerned about him right now. What we’re doing is very important and could mean the difference in the fate of Ninjago.” Nya sighed and held her head. “Like it or not, we have to _all_ do this together.”

“What’s your stance on Lloyd, then?” Cole asked as he looked over at the boy looking off into the distance.

“He’s sweet,” Nya giggled to herself, watching Kai and Cole’s expressions.

“Not you too, Nya!” Kai exclaimed.

Nya laughed, fighting to catch her breath. “No, no, seriously. He’s great. He’s aggressive in the exercises, but he makes sure to ask if I’m doing alright from time to time. He helped me up when I fell, too. I think he just really needs some friends.”

“Alright,” Kai rolled his eyes. “You got me worried that you had fallen for _another_ bad boy.”

Nya shook her head in disbelief. “You expect so little of me, brother. Besides...” she looked over at where Harumi had been sitting before she went back inside. “I think he has other interests.”

“I still don’t get it,” Kai laughed. “Those two are opposite from each other in almost every way.”

“Maybe that’s why it works so well,” Nya shrugged.

While they were talking, the three didn’t realize Wu come up behind them again. “And why is it that you are not training?”

“Oh, Wu!” Nya laughed nervously. “Sorry, we were just discussing something.”

“That is fine,” Wu nodded. “I only show concern about this because I’d rather not waste precious time. It seems, Nya, that you’ve left my nephew to practice a two-person exercise on his own.”

“Oh, yeah,” Nya rubbed the back of her neck and cleared her throat. “I’ll stick with him for the rest of the day’s practice, I promise.”

“Good,” Wu said and watched Nya hurry back over to where Lloyd was.

“Hey,” Nya spoke with an awkward smile, meeting Lloyd’s attention again as he looked up to see her. “Sorry about leaving you hanging, I just needed to take care of something with my _brother._ ” The last word came off Nya’s tongue with so much annoyance that Lloyd failed to stifle a laugh.

“That’s fine, it looked like we both could have used a minute’s break anyways,” Lloyd assured her. “Now, have you ever tried a drop kick?”


	12. Tea, Anyone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of alcohol consumption and drunk behavior  
> It's really nothing that bad though, they're all basically just on a sugar high xD

“That’s it...I’m wiped out,” Kai gasped for air as he pulled himself off of the floor and walked over to Nya and Cole. “Look at the sky!” He gestured around with his flailing arms, and shook his head. “The sun’s going down, and we’ve been training like this since this morning.”

“Then I guess it is a good thing I have decided to call it a day,” Wu nodded.

“Wait, really? Thanks.”

“You all have much still to pick up in the area of conditioning, including _endurance_ ,” Wu said in a way that made it almost sound like a joke. “But you did well. You may do what you like for the rest of the day. I am going to my room to meditate.”

As Wu walked inside, Cole wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead and shook himself off. “Man, it’ll feel nice to get inside and take a shower.”

“Whoa, whoa, who says you’re showering first?” Kai folded his arms and smirked smugly at the black-haired ninja. “I’m just as sweaty as you are?”

“Is that really something you want to admit?” Cole raised a brow.

“Boys, boys, this is simple. The _girl_ gets the shower first,” Nya spoke cockily, shining her teeth in a victorious smile at the two as she headed inside. “You can find a way to determine who goes after me.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Kai groaned, walking with Cole to the door. He looked back as he realized someone was missing. “Hey, Lloyd,” he called over at the blonde, who was standing near the equipment, seemingly not doing _anything._ “Lloyd, training’s over, you can head inside now.”

Lloyd simply nodded at Kai and then returned his attention to the equipment. Kai shrugged and walked inside the monastery.

* * *

When Lloyd finally came inside, he was greeted by Nya, who came to unlock the door for him. She was wearing her gi loosely and had a party hat on her head, which Lloyd could only wonder the source of. “Hey, Lloyd, sorry about locking the door, I didn’t realize you were still out there.” Nya smiled at Lloyd and handed him a cup of tea. “You thirsty? Turns out Cole knows how to make the _best_ green tea. Even Wu was surprised.”

Lloyd slowly took the cup and nodded his thanks. “What’s...what’s going on in here?”

“Oh, we’re just partying, y’know?” Nya laughed, almost nervously, and gestured into the room where Cole and Kai were dancing around and drinking tea with Walker and his pirates.

Nya led Lloyd into the room and patted his back, sort of roughly pushing him inside. “It’s fun!”

Several pirates were mumbling some kind of lyrics to a song as they danced, and Kai and Cole stood laughing as they watched. Lloyd wandered over to them with a confused look. “Alright, be honest. Are you guys drunk?”

Kai turned his head and gave Lloyd a sheepish grin. “Whaaaaat? Noooooo.”

Lloyd looked down at his cup and shook his head. “So, that’s your secret to making the _best tea ever,_ huh Cole?” Lloyd’s eyes widened then. “Wait, did you get my _uncle_ drunk?”

“Relax, Lloyd,” Cole rolled his eyes and swayed a little, grabbing the table to hold himself steady. “The tea was already good, but then old Flintlocke had the idea to add a bit more ingredients. Pretty good, huh?”

Lloyd took a step back as he looked at Cole incredulously. Still, he had to admit he was amused, and he smirked at the party. “So I’m guessing Wu’s in his room then?”

“Oh yeah,” Nya nodded way too quickly as she came up beside Lloyd again and gave a drunk giggle. “We didn’t give him the alcoholic tea, don’t worr _rrry..._ ”

“Just how drunk _are_ you?” Lloyd asked in disbelief, and then looked around. “And where’s-“

_“I’d trade all the gold that we have reaped! I’d trade all the gold that we have reaped!”_ the group of pirates all bellowed in a very uncoordinated effort, many voices faltering or cracking. Lloyd groaned and pushed himself past the drunk Nya and looked around for Harumi. 

_“I’d trade all the gold that we have reaped, for one more cold night on Misfortune’s Keep!”_ all of the pirates broke out into laughter as they finished their song.

Finally, he found her seated in the back of the room on a stool, and she looked up at him with uncertainty as if she expected him to be drunk as well. “You too?” Harumi asked simply, and Lloyd shook his head.

“Not at all,” Lloyd sighed as he came to sit beside the girl. He looked down at her cup and nudged her arm. “If you aren’t drinking the tea...”

“It’s water,” Harumi assured Lloyd with a smirk and a roll of her eyes. “I just figured I’d watch the chaos ensue as these pirates fall further and further into their drunkenness. Give it a few more minutes, and some of them will start passing out for sure.”

“You sound like you have experience watching this,” Lloyd laughed.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Harumi nodded. “Growing up under a wealthy royal family meant I knew plenty of individuals who _loved_ their wine. This spiked tea is pretty tame, though. All it’s really done is get them all hyper and acting like little kids.” She stifled a laugh as she watched Kai start doing handstands to impress everyone. “Seems like our friends are fitting in with the pirates pretty well.”

“Yeah,” Lloyd nodded, now starting to let everything sink in. “My uncle is gonna freak out.”

“No, cuz he’s not gonna find out,” Harumi pursed her lips in a way that reminded Lloyd way too much of Skylor, but he found it amusing. “We’re the only sober ones here, so I’m sure we’ll have to assume responsibility and get everyone to bed when the party’s over.”

Lloyd shrugged and looked back over at Cole and Kai, who were smirking like idiots and talking about a bunch of nonsense that Lloyd couldn’t hear over the pirates’ groggy, drunk singing.

“I’m proud of you.” Lloyd was pretty sure he heard Harumi say this, but he wanted to be sure over the melody. 

Lloyd turned his head towards Harumi and leaned in a little closer. “What did you say?”

“I said I’m proud of you,” Harumi smiled, and Lloyd could tell a bit of that pride resounded around all the times she had pushed for him to try something different. “Despite your concerns, you stuck around, conveniently also gave me a much safer place to stay, and now look at you!” Harumi grabbed a handful of Lloyd’s black gi with a laugh as he gave her an unamused look. “You’re an _honorable_ and _noble_ ninja.”

“It’s barely been a day and a half, don’t get excited yet,” Lloyd insisted, but he still couldn’t help but smile at her optimism. “But yes, I’m glad you like it here. I’m sure, if I changed my mind, my uncle would gladly keep you here.”

“Really?” Harumi raised an eyebrow. “I thought you had your own plans for when you bring me to Garmadon’s fortress.”

“Yeah, well, you managed to convince me, and I gave up on that idea,” Lloyd pointed out. “I’m sorry I can’t give you back the life you had, though.”

“I appreciate that,” Harumi nodded with a smile, “but I’m not in any hurry to become Empress.” She played with her long white hair nervously and looked at Lloyd, hoping he’d understand. “I’m pretty sure my parents are dead, and while I want more than anything to see Ninjago free and beautiful again...it scares me that I’ll have to singlehandedly pick up the pieces.” She thought for a moment before continuing. “When I was younger, I always thought that when I became Empress, that’s when my _real_ life would begin. You know, grow into an adult, lead the country, help the poor, marry a handsome prince...” Harumi frowned at her cup of water and pushed it aside. “Now I’ve come to realize that, especially in days like these, the day I become Empress may be the day I stop loving this life.”

Lloyd seemed a bit shocked by Harumi’s confession, but nodded slowly as he began to understand. “I, uh...I used to think pretty similarly, you know? I mean, I never wanted to rule Ninjago or anything like that – heck, I never even wanted to be in charge. I just wanted to see my dad happy and successful, so I did the things I did for him because I...you know...”

“Because you cared,” Harumi nodded with a sad smile.

Lloyd looked like he wanted to puke on the words, but he nodded. “He may not be the most loving or accepting of parents, but he’s all I’ve got. And when Skylor said she wanted to kick him off the throne, or when anyone here ever mentioned challenging him, I felt like snapping. Nowadays though, especially recently, I’ve come to be a lot more patient.” Lloyd took a breath. “And the worst part is that I’m slowly starting to think you all are right...”

“Lloyd...”

“He _is_ evil. He _is_ cruel. And he’s controlling,” Lloyd battled back the angry tears that threatened to fall. “He’s _always_ been controlling. He was so much kinder when Mom was around...now he treats me no better than one of his soldiers like Samukai.” Lloyd hesitated before finishing. “And I was a _fool_ for thinking I could win his love back.”

Lloyd sat there, painfully silent, as Harumi looked at him in awe and confusion. Slowly, she placed a small hand around his back and rubbed his shoulder gently, encouraging him to let out any tears he had stored up. “Lloyd, you’re the most stubborn boy I’ve ever met, just cry if you need to.”

Lloyd shook his head and looked back over at Harumi, his eyes now dry. “I don’t need to.”

“Lloyd...” Harumi sighed as she gave up her efforts and just continued to rub his shoulder quietly. “You’re powerful, but you’re not invincible. You’re not horrible for realizing your father’s true nature.”

Lloyd just nodded.

“If someone had told me five weeks ago that the son of Garmadon would be opening up to me like that, I never would have believed it,” Harumi laughed softly, hoping to cheer him up. “But you’re vulnerable, just like anyone else. I’m glad you’ve let me help you.” She looked around the room at several pirates passed out on the floor, and then at Kai and Cole struggling to stay sane, and smiled. “I think this whole adventure was for the best. For both of us.”

“I’m gonna heal you of Clouse’s curse,” Lloyd promised. 

“I know you will,” Harumi smiled even wider, and managed to slide over to sit closer to Lloyd as the day came to an end.

* * *

Now on Chen’s Island, preparations had begun. Skylor oversaw the daily construction of transports to load the soldiers onto, while one of her paid bounty hunters worked to train Chen’s cultists to be fierce warriors. The island had seen various other changes, most notably the absence of servants and slaves. There were only four prisoners now: Chen and Garmadon’s three agents from days before.

“Mistress Skylor,” one of the bounty hunters, Rako, addressed the woman as he came to greet her. “Everything is moving smoothly, and I estimate we’ll be ready to launch your assault in a matter of weeks.”

“We don’t have weeks,” Skylor sighed, shaking her head as she looked out on the horizon.

“And why is that?”

“Some of the prisoners I let go may still pose a deadly threat to my plan. I should have never let Lloyd go...”

“Garmadon’s son?” Rako exclaimed. “Why...he didn’t try to kill you?”

“He was my _prisoner,_ ” Skylor repeated. “And besides, we came to a mutual agreement. He helped me take the island.”

“Then I would have kept him around, just saying,” Rako laughed.

“Believe me, I wanted to,” Skylor sighed again. “But he’s a pretty lost guy. He may not even be back in the city after all. I’ve seen how conflicted he is. He doubts his purpose in his father’s empire.” Skylor thought for a moment. “Do we have a scouting ship to spare?”

“Several, yes,” Rako nodded. “Why?”

“I think I may know where to check for him,” Skylor explained, thinking out loud. “On the way here, while I was playing pretend to get them here, we stopped at a monastery in the mountains. An old man was there, whom I believe was Lloyd’s uncle.”

“You want me to find this monastery, then?”

“No, not you, Rako,” Skylor shook her head. “I have to do this alone. If I bring soldiers with me, no one, especially not Lloyd, would trust me. He’s refused my offer before, and he probably will again.”

“Then why go through the trouble of finding him?”

Skylor smirked. “Because one way or another, I have to get him out of the way. Thanks to my father’s staff, I’ve absorbed almost all of the elements, but there’s still some more that I haven’t found. In time, I’ll be powerful enough to challenge Garmadon, but Lloyd’s interference could mean the difference.”

“So what’s the plan? Kill him?”

“No, I don’t wish to kill him, not when he’s still useful, and still so lost. I will return soon, Rako, with or without Lloyd, but either way, he’ll be out of our way.”

“Yes, ma’m.”

* * *

Lloyd awoke and knew immediately that something wasn’t right. The first thing he could see were Cole and Kai’s sleeping forms on the ground, collapsed beside their cups from last night. There were more pirates sprawled out around the room, and even Nya had somehow passed out while lying on top of the TV. 

Lloyd felt a weight pushed against him, not uncomfortable but still very much present, and Lloyd reached up to run a hand through his hair before realizing he wasn’t touching his own hair. Sitting up with a jolt, he quickly took note of Harumi’s sleeping form, with her arms wrapped around his waist and her head nestled into his chest. Lloyd turned red, and mentally screamed.

“Eh hem,” Wu’s voice pierced Lloyd’s ears as he cleared his throat, entering the room and passing all of the unconscious pirates, plus several sleeping ninja. “Pleasant dreams, Nephew?"

Lloyd’s eyes grew wider and he tried his best to push Harumi off of him, but his own nerves made it difficult. So he simply had to sit there fearfully as Wu approached him.

“I see you all enjoyed the tea,” Wu joked coldly, picking up a cup off of the floor. “I assume what you all drank wasn’t the same as what I was given.”

Harumi gave a sleepy groan, and Lloyd realized her eyes were going to open so he pushed her gently up against the wall so she could sit up normally. “This isn’t what it looks like, Uncle, I swear. They all may have been drunk, but me and Harumi didn’t have a single sip.”

“I see,” Wu nodded thoughtfully. “I believe you, Lloyd. Still, I would much rather if you two slept in your respective rooms, rather than making a mess of my extra meditation room.”

“Mmm whaa...?” Harumi mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around, rubbing her head. “What the...Sensei Wu!” she suddenly seemed a lot more awake and stood to her feet, stumbling forward slightly. “I am so sorry, Wu, I promise I didn’t drink anything!”

Wu chuckled. “So I hear.”

Harumi still seemed distressed, and looked over at Lloyd for several moments as she seemed to be remembering something. “We both fell asleep?”

“Yes...” Lloyd nodded slowly. “Me over here, you over there,” Lloyd gestured to their different seats and gave a very unconvincing smile. 

Harumi blushed, but managed to grin at Lloyd. “Doesn’t sound right to me, but okay.”

“Wake up,” Wu yelled as he bumped the heads of each of the pirates and ninja, causing them to raise themselves off the ground in pain. “I swear, I will forever rue the day I allowed _pirates_ in here...”

“My apologies, Wu, but Flintlocke thought it would be a good idea,” Walker explained.

“Like _heck_ it was,” the mustached pirate grumbled to himself.

“Well, I’d appreciate if you didn’t get my new students drunk after their first day of training!” Wu groaned and shook his head in disbelief. “Just...everyone go to your rooms and get ready for the day, please.” The man walked off, and everyone began to get up.

“Uhm,” Harumi raised her voice a bit more than usual and looked over at Lloyd. “I don’t know what you told Wu about last night, but...”

“You were there, I was here,” Lloyd repeated quickly, shrugging. “Nothing more to it, we both just had a long night and fell asleep.”

“Mhm,” Harumi hummed sarcastically, and helped Lloyd to his feet before lowering her voice to say, “We both know that isn’t completely true.”

Before Lloyd could hide his surprise and figure out how much she _really_ remembered, Harumi walked off to her room, leaving the boy flustered.

* * *

The day’s training was significantly more strenuous the day before, and they all realized pretty quickly that this was part of their punishment rather than a simple followup to their previous training. They were each given weights, one on each wrist and ankle, and forced to stay in a standing, balanced, position for a minute straight or they would have to start over.

Cole was the first to complete the test, to which Kai scoffed. “I see someone’s using their _earth foundation_ a little too well.”

“It’s called using my talents to my advantage, Kai,” Cole shrugged. “But what are you gonna do? Set the weights on fire?”

Kai groaned and began to struggle with his balance before flopping onto his stomach. “This is _hard..._ ”

“Ninja never quit,” Wu spoke sternly, grabbing Kai’s hand and helping him back up. “You will complete this challenge if you focus and eliminate distraction.”

Kai attempted to balance himself again, and failed miserably, now falling onto his back with a _thud!_

“Just how drunk were you?” Nya asked.

“Just a sip! Just a sip!” Kai whined, failing again to hold himself up. “It was just enough to make us a little tipsy, not drunk!”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we _were_ drunk,” Nya shook her head skeptically. “Whatever, it’s a thing of the past now, just a stupid idea we had. Now we need to focus on what’s more important: our training.

“Yeah, I’m not sure if Wu would consider it a thing of the past just yet,” Cole snickered, looking over at the man who was currently adjusting the training course. “I have a bad feeling he has some more plans for our punishment.”

“If we get punished, the pirates should, too,” Kai grumbled. “They’re the ones who spiked the tea anyways, and all they do is sit around inside the monastery.”

“I don’t really care; besides,” Cole pointed out, “they won’t be here for much longer. Walker said he and his crew are leaving in a few days now that he knows we’re all safe here with Wu.”

“ _What???_ ” Nya asked in almost a whisper, and she quickly attempted to cover up her disappointment by focusing her eyes on the floor. “I...I never heard Walker say something like that.”

“He said so just earlier this morning,” Cole shrugged.

“What do you expect, Nya?” Kai asked. “He’s a pirate. They’re _all_ pirates. We may be getting training to become elemental masters, but they’re not. There’s nothing for them to do here, and Walker clearly doesn’t want to be trained with us.”

“But he has to!” Nya burst out, a bit louder than she had wanted. “Wu said there were how many elemental masters needed? Seven? Eight?”

“I honestly don’t remember,” Kai admitted.

“Well, there are only _four_ of us, counting Lloyd,” Nya put her hands up as if she was completely done arguing with Kai. “Walker _is_ the fifth ninja.”

“Chen stole the powers of dozens of elemental masters, Nya,” Cole shook his head. “Any one of them could have been the one we need, but we don’t have a way of knowing yet. There’s no concrete reason to believe Walker is one of-“

“Wu _pointed_ to him when he pointed to us,” Nya brought up in frustration. “He said, ‘I was hoping for the privilege of bringing up new masters’ and pointed to us _and_ Walker.”

“Whatever the case,” Kai sighed, “Wu isn’t the most straightforward of people. Even if we ask him, he’ll probably give us a cryptic answer.”

“Perhaps you would like more punishment for talking during your exercises?” Wu asked as he walked over to the group.

“No, Sensei!”


	13. The Lonely Lighthouse

Three hours into Skylor’s journey to find the monastery, problems had begun to rapidly arise. Violent storms hung overhead and large tides crashed against the side of her vessel. The small speedboat was fast and effective, but could be tipped over if Skylor wasn’t careful.

Skylor cursed under her breath as she adjusted the controls to steady the boat, and held up her right hand towards the sky in a last ditch effort to dispel this issue. To her dismay, none of her absorbed elements reacted to the lightning overhead, and Skylor realized it was just another element she hadn’t found yet. 

_The lightning element..._

Skylor wished now more than ever that Clouse’s spell book hadn’t been destroyed. The waves had begun to get worse, and there was no land in sight. Soon enough, the waves were high enough that they completely blocked Skylor’s view and threatened to sweep her away amongst the water.

Skylor frantically accelerated the speedboat, but it stalled. She changed a few dials, and it still stalled. The boat came to a complete stop, and the moving waves were all that tossed Skylor around.

“No, no, no!” Skylor screamed, and ran. To the back of the boat, to the edge of the boat – she didn’t care. She just needed to avoid the giant wave coming towards her, but she wasn’t so fortunate.

The weight of that huge wave crashed down onto Skylor from behind, shoving her off the boat and into the water. She kicked her feet and grasped with her arms, but the wave’s strength continued to push her further and further away from the boat. As the wave finished coming down, Skylor managed to float back up to the surface of the water and gasp for breath. The knives and gear clipped to her waist were no doubt holding her down, she knew that much.

Skylor slid one hand down to her hip and tugged, making it hard to tread water with only one arm and her legs. Nothing would come loose, and Skylor was too tense and in shock to calm herself enough to find the clasp to the belt. 

She screamed again as another wave crashed down onto her head, this one feeling even more violent than the first. Her body was helplessly threshed around, spinning her upside down and causing the weight of Skylor’s gear to feel even heavier than before. Skylor then quickly brought both of her hands to her waist and tugged, but it still didn’t come loose.

Skylor could feel the pressure around her tighten as she sank deeper down, and she knew she only would have a few precious moments to swim back up for air – _if_ she ever got the belt off. Her fingers pried at every part of the belt until finally grasping the clasp and pulling hard. It almost came undone, when Skylor’s vision began to blur and she soon blacked out.

* * *

Skylor could hear seagulls outside, and the calm waters splashed gently against the place where Skylor sat. Her head hurt like hell, she knew that much. Placing one of her hands on the side of her face, Skylor used her other hand to steady herself to sit up in the bed she found herself in.

The room was made of smooth cold stone, and a hole between the stones served as a window view of the ocean outside. Skylor looked around suspiciously before slowly standing to her feet, noticing quickly that she was barefoot. Her clothes, too, were gone and had been swapped out for a large brown robe that felt like it would better fit a woman twice her size. Skylor pulled it tighter around her body and used the tie to keep it tight.

Skylor peered out of the window-hole and saw the endless ocean ahead of her, and she noticed that she was in some sort of stone tower on a small piece of land. Skylor searched the room for her knives, but realized they must have been lost in the water, or at least kept with her clothes, wherever they were.

“Hello?” Skylor called, but nobody answered. She slowly walked over to a wooden door and pulled it open, revealing more and more of the tower. This larger room held several boxes, consisting of dozens of sizes, all piled up against the wall. Skylor tore the lid off of one box and raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a coffee pot. Another opened box held a typewriter, and yet another held a recorder.

“What in the...” Skylor whispered, already wanting more than anything to find her clothes and leave this strange place. She decided to continue making her way through the tower, and pulled the door open again to enter inside a bright room with plenty of window-holes to allow light inside.

Skylor heard footsteps, and she froze. She peered inside and noticed a pair of legs walking by over to a table, where there were another pair of legs. Skylor looked up to find their faces, but she hit her head on a low part of a ceiling before she could do so.

“ _Crap!”_ Skylor hissed painfully to herself, clutching her head and stumbling forward onto the ground. She recovered herself, standing to her feet when she made eye contact with the two people. A pair of glowing blue eyes and another pair of green ones looked at Skylor with wonder, and they smiled. But something wasn’t right...

“Hello,” the blue-eyed one spoke, and his echo-y voice confirmed Skylor’s suspicions that he was a robot. He stepped forward, and Skylor stepped back. Now she got a better look at him. He wore normal clothes just like anyone else – a royal blue shirt with khaki pants, and his silver, metal skin shined against the sunlight.

“What are you?” Skylor asked, preparing to fight if necessary. The other robot walked over, this one with white metal plating bearing dozens, maybe hundreds, of intricate purple coding lines all over her face and bare arms. She wore a yellow summer dress, and seemed even more cheery than the first robot.

“I am Zane,” the blue-eyed one introduced himself, placing a hand on his chest. “Built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. This is my companion, Pixal.”

Pixal gave Skylor a small wave and continued to smile, but this only caused Skylor to feel more on edge. “Did you sleep well last night?” Pixal asked, her voice very soft and sweet compared to Zane’s deeper, more matter-of-fact tone.

Skylor gripped her head again and scoffed. “No, I feel like crap. Now – augh! – how about you tell me where I am, and how I got here?”

“Your head,” Pixal spoke with concern, stepping forward to help, but Skylor held up a hand.

“I’m fine, I can take care of myself,” Skylor glared at them. “Now, answer my questions.”

“You were in a dangerous storm last night,” Zane explained. “Fortunately, I happened to be out on the ocean myself at that time, and I pulled you out of the water before you could drown. I apologize for your boat, however,” Zane sighed. “It was beyond salvaging.”

Skylor thought about that slowly. “So where am I then?”

“Our lighthouse,” Pixal answered cheerily. “We’ve lived here for years, and it is very safe. We gave you the robe to wear for now, and I left your clothes out to dry on the clothesline, if it’s not a problem.”

“Oh,” Skylor spoke simply, looking around. “Um, thank you.”

“You are welcome,” Zane beamed. “We haven’t had a visitor in a long time, so I apologize if we seem overly excited about you being here.”

“That’s...fine,” Skylor shrugged. “I can’t stay here, though, I need to get back out there as soon as possible. Are you sure you couldn’t salvage my boat?”

“It was practically torn in half by the storm,” Zane shook his head. “Even if there were some undamaged parts we could use, they were swept away in the ocean.”

“Do you have a boat, then?”

“No, we really have no need for one,” Zane admitted. “We’re very content here, and we have no desire to leave this peaceful lighthouse for the dark, dangerous world out _there_ ,” he pointed out the window. “It seems you humans are only killing each other rather than making things better.”

Skylor wouldn’t disagree with that. She was an assassin, after all. “I understand, but I _need_ to leave this place soon. You have no idea how important I am right now.”

“That seems odd,” Zane laughed, not in a rude way, but merely out of amusement. “You seemed very alone on the water for someone who is very important.”

“I was on a mission on my _own_ ,” Skylor snapped, folding her arms. “I didn’t anticipate that my boat would be so useless out here.”

“Then what is your importance?” Pixal asked out of curiosity. “My purpose is for storing data and carrying out special tasks.”

“My importance?” Skylor asked, now starting to think maybe these robots were a bit _too_ nosy. “Well, if you really must know, I’m the ruler of an island several miles from here. My soldiers and I are going to attack Ninjago City and kill Garmadon."

“Oh my,” Zane spoke in awe as both of his eyebrows shot up. “You really _are_ important. It is against my own morals to wish the death of any man, but I assume the desire to liberate Ninjago is quite noble.”

“Um, yeah,” Skylor nodded. “I guess you’re right. So...there’s no way to leave this lighthouse?”

Zane and Pixal looked at each other as if they were engaging in silent conversation, and then looked back at Skylor. “There is a way,” Pixal explained, “to build a new boat for you. We can make all of the right measurements and precautions to ensure that it works perfectly on the waves.”

“Really?” Skylor started to smile. “That’s great, how soon can you start?”

Zane pondered this for a moment. “We can start now, if you are in a hurry. We could use your help as well, if you have any knowledge of how boats are designed.”

Skylor nodded. “But first, I need to change into my clothes. This robe is a bit...awkward.”

* * *

Nya was on a mission of her own back at the monastery, following Walker around any time she got a chance and begging him to stay. She tried every excuse she could think of, but the pirate still stood firm in his decision.

“I’ve made up my mind, Nya,” he shook his head. “I gave up on this life a long time ago, and you know why.”

“I know you feel terrible about that village you destroyed, but...” Nya searched for the words. “Anyone can change.” Nya mentally cursed herself for using those same words she and Kai had tossed around this whole time. “And I _know_ you would make a great ninja. You’ve had your powers longer than any of us, except for Lloyd, maybe, and you’re honorable.”

“An honorable pirate, huh?” Walker laughed. “Doesn’t sound right, does it?”

“Not a pirate,” Nya insisted. “ _Ninja._ ”

“And you expect me to give up my whole way of life?” Walker pointed out, gesturing to his pirates who stood around the _Misfortune’s Keep_ farther away. “What about my crew? I’m just supposed to give them up? Where will they go without me? What will they do?”

Nya held her head in defeat, sighing. He had a good point.

“Nya, I appreciate you seeing _something_ good in me, whatever that is,” Walker gave her a sad smile. “You’re a really nice girl, but I’ve gotten myself tangled in this mess of elementals and crime lords for long enough. I’ve risked a lot, y’know. For you, for Kai, for Harumi.”

“I know,” Nya whispered, still hanging her head.

“I’ve decided to fly out of here in three days,” Walker explained. “The men have already loaded a lot of our things back into the _Keep_ and we’ll leave as smoothly as we came.”

“Guys!” Cole’s voice rang out as he ran breathlessly over to the two. “Guys, we’ve got a problem! Or, at least, we’re going to have one.”

“What are you talking about?” Nya asked.

“Wu’s seen something in his spirit smoke. He’s really shaken up about it.” Cole shook his head sadly. “We need to all be there for him, and maybe he’ll tell us what he saw."

* * *

Wu laid in a distressed mess in his bed, while Lloyd sat at his side. Everyone else stood around the room silently. “Lloyd,” Wu finally managed to speak, rubbing his eyes. “I...I’ve never seen a vision this strong before...”

“It’s alright, Uncle,” Lloyd soothed Wu, handing him his favorite tea and rubbing his back. “Just calm down and explain to us what you saw.”

Wu hesitated before slowly nodding in agreement. “My spirit smoke has shown me something uncertain regarding all of you.” Wu waved a shaky finger around the room. “Kai, Nya, Cole, Lloyd...all of you.”

Nya made eye contact with Walker bitterly, knowing that he also realized his name was not spoken. This meant he wouldn’t end up staying after all.

“What happens to us?” Kai asked, a bit of fear evident in his tone. 

“You encounter Garmadon in battle...and he’s too strong...I’ll fail as a sensei...”

“No, Sensei, that’s not true,” Cole shook his head in disbelief. “You’re a great sensei, and our training has barely even begun. We’ll take this at a good pace and make sure we’re prepared-"

“No,” Wu sighed. “This path has already been set for all of you, it won’t wait for you and come when it is only convenient. Even my most strenuous training won’t help you become masters before my vision comes to pass.”

“Uncle...” Lloyd spoke hesitantly, not quite ready for this next answer. “I am there?...I fight my father?”

Wu looked at Lloyd intently before nodding. “Yes.”

Lloyd had always had a feeling that would be at the end of this path, but now that it was confirmed for him, it felt so wrong. Lloyd’s stomach churned and he wished he could leave the room to be alone. He could feel Harumi’s eyes on him, and he looked up to see her standing in the corner, watching him with sad eyes.

“Well,” Lloyd sighed, feeling the conflict stirring within him. “I guess you were right about me, then. It was destiny that I stay here and train.”

Wu smiled sadly. 

Lloyd took a deep breath before standing to his feet and looking around the room. “We can’t let this vision discourage us. If a confrontation is truly coming, we need to be as prepared as we can be, even if we don’t have as much time as we’d like.”

Harumi smirked proudly, folding her arms. “Taking charge, I see. I like it.”

“That’s why he’s the leader,” Wu chuckled, and this quickly caused an uproar.

“He’s the leader now?” Kai’s eyes widened.

“Since when?” Cole exclaimed.

“That’s my own business,” Wu grinned, stroking his beard. “Unless one of you would like to question my judgment.”

That caused a silence for a few moments.

“No, Sensei,” Kai and Cole spoke in unison, and Wu laughed.

“Then go, like your leader said, and train. I will be out to direct you in today’s lesson as soon as I am fully recovered.”

* * *

“You guys have a lot of junk,” Skylor observed as she pulled more and more of Zane and Pixal’s boxes open, pulling out more old appliances and gadgets. “Most of this stuff doesn’t even work.”

“They were old designs made by my creator,” Zane explained, walking over to one machine and tapping it lightly. “He had a lot of designs that he never got to finish.”

Skylor raised an eyebrow. “Your creator? What happened to him?”

“He is dead,” Zane answered simply, still paying attention to the machine. “After I found Pixal in a wreckage out in the sea, I fixed her up and liberated her. Now neither of us have living creators, but we have each other."

“A wreckage?” Skylor asked. “Were there other robots onboard?”

“Not that I could find, no,” Zane shook his head. “Why?”

“I knew of a shipment of high-tech machinery being sent overseas near here,” Skylor explained. “I heard it was lost somewhere and all of the contents went with it.”

“Well, I do not know much of that, but I know Pixal has some stories about her creator that she likes to tell me sometimes,” Zane smiled. “He seemed to have been a good man, trying to use technology for the good of mankind."

“So...where is Pixal?” Skylor asked, looking around.

“She went to retrieve your weapons for you. They were attached to a belt around your waist when I found you, so we kept them upstairs for you.”

Skylor nodded. “So, uh...how long do you think it will take to finish building this boat of yours?”

“With the three of us working together at a good work rate, it should be finished about two days from now,” Zane answered quickly.

Skylor let out an impatient sigh, but she nodded. “That will be fine, I guess.”

As they continued pulling open boxes for useful parts, Zane asked, “so if you don’t mind me asking, what were you looking for out here?”

Skylor hesitated. Surely, a lonely robot with no way to leave wouldn’t pose any issues if she told him, right? “I’m looking for a guy.”

"..."

“Oh.”

“No, not like that, I just...” Skylor faceplanted. “He’s a powerful person, like me, and I’m hoping that he can help me fight Garmadon. If he decides not to help, he could be doing the exact opposite and would be making my job harder.”

“He is powerful like you?” Zane raised a brow. “Does he own his own island too?”

“No, not that kind of power,” Skylor shook her head. She held up a hand and caused it to surge with elemental power, and this clearly intrigued Zane as he walked closer to observe her power.

“You are an elemental,” Zane spoke in surprise. “I never thought I would ever meet another.”

“You’ve met one before me?”

“No,” Zane smiled. He held up his own hand and caused a flurry of snowflakes to appear in the air between them, and Skylor’s eyes widened.

“ _You’re_ an elemental?”

Zane nodded. “Ever since I was created, I have been able to manipulate and control ice in many different ways.” He twisted his hands around and created a pair of ice cubes in his hands. “I’ve never quite understood it, as a robot should not be capable of harboring such a gift. Now, I just see it as a part of my design, and I accept it."

“Wow,” Skylor breathed, doing a double take of what she was seeing. “All along, you had one of the missing elements this whole time.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh,” Skylor laughed. “I guess you wouldn’t know. Elemental powers are passed down from generation to generation, but several of their users still have not been discovered. Ice is one in particular that has not been seen in a master for a long time.”

“I see,” Zane nodded. “So then, this male elemental you are looking for could be a very powerful ally to you.”

“Mhm,” Skylor smirked, placing her hands on her hips. “I think you and I are going to get along pretty well, Zane.”


	14. Two Crimson Blades

A new motivation had been awakened in each of the ninja, and it was clear that none of them wanted to be completely unprepared for whatever destiny awaited them, Garmadon or not. Wu agreed to go further into training their elements and so far, they had made good progress.

“Hey, look!” Kai exclaimed as he lit his hand on fire and waved it around. “I didn’t set my sleeve on fire this time!”

Nya rolled her eyes. “Good job, Brother.” Nya herself was currently forming several water droplets around her that slowly expanded into much larger orbs. They shook awkwardly, and Nya nearly lost grasp of them, but her concentration was enough. The orbs soon stayed still.

“Good, Nya,” Wu nodded in approval as he walked around with his hands behind his back. “Don’t be afraid of your power.”

“It’s just water,” Nya argued, but Wu chuckled.

“You will find that even water can be a formidable force in battle. Just as powerful navies and warships can be toppled by the raging storm, your power can topple nearly any foe.” Wu sighed contentedly as he looked around at the four students sitting cross-legged with their powers surrounding them. “You are _all_ progressing well.” Then Wu tilted his head towards an odd noise. “Lloyd, what are you doing?”

“I’m losing it, Uncle,” Lloyd grunted as he shut his eyes tight and tried to calm the pulsing energy around him. “I...I can’t control it!”

Wu looked up to see the leaves from the tree above Lloyd. The green energy had chained itself up to their height, burning through them like they were nothing. A bit of energy even seemed to poke at Wu’s feet through his sandals, and the old master stepped back in caution.

“Everyone get to higher ground!” Wu ordered, finding his own spot on top of the training dummy. “His energy could sear through your skin in seconds.”

“What kind of power _is_ energy anyway?” Kai spoke in exasperation, planting himself on top of another dummy. “It can heal skin _and_ burn through it?”

“Lloyd, you need to let go. Don’t try to control it, just let go!” Wu yelled, and Lloyd shook his head violently, his eyes still closed shut.

“If I let go, it’ll do something much worse!”

“Better to make it quick than to slowly burn the tree down,” Cole pointed out.

With much hesitation, Lloyd finally relaxed his muscles and allowed the energy building up to go loose, causing a heavy wave to flash throughout the monastery. He fell to the ground, not even realizing that he had started to float in the air.

“Lloyd, you good, man?” Cole asked as he helped the boy to his feet. “That big surge must’ve taken a lot out of ya.”

“I’m fine, Cole, really...” Lloyd assured Cole, but he had to admit that his arms felt weak. “I just need to take a quick breather.”

“Hey, guys?” Walker asked as he walked outside to investigate the commotion, followed by Harumi. “What just happened out here? All of the appliances went nuts for a second.”

Kai, Nya, and Cole each looked at Lloyd in awe, and even Lloyd himself looked down at his hands in disbelief. 

“You had a large amount of energy already built up,” Wu observed, stroking his beard. “I am not sure why, but you did, and in your moment of vulnerability, it came out.”

“I was vulnerable because I was meditating?” Lloyd asked.

“Yes. You’re freeing your mind and relaxing your spirit,” Wu nodded. “Anything that comes in or out of your mind passes freely.”

“If I was _relaxed,_ why was my energy so wild?”

“I...do not know. There are things about your powers that even I do not know.”

“Sensei Wu,” Harumi cleared her throat as she walked over, handing him a slip of paper. “This letter came for you just now. The postman was apparently instructed to deliver this as soon as possible, and demands that you open it immediately.”

Wu looked at Harumi quizzically before nodding and tearing the envelope open. His eyes danced over the paper before growing wider and somewhat fearful. “Oh no...”

“What is it?” Kai stepped forward to look over Wu’s shoulder, but he waved him off.

“This is from one of my old friends. He owns a cottage on the outside banks of the city, and has seen my brother’s forces recently asking about the location of an elemental and a princess."

“They’re looking for us again,” Harumi whispered.

“I mean, are we really surprised?” Kai scoffed. “We all knew when we got into this that the prices on Lloyd and Harumi’s heads wouldn’t just disappear.”

“My brother has never attacked this monastery,” Wu stated firmly. “If he finds the audacity to attack our father’s home...”

“It’s not just you here anymore, Sensei. You have his _son_ ,” Nya pointed out. “And, unfortunately, it seems that means it’s our fault for burdening you. If we hadn’t gotten you involved-“

“I am not worried about that, Nya,” Wu shook his head. “I’ve waited decades to train the students destiny would have for me to bring up under this roof, _including_ my nephew,” Wu emphasized, “and I’m not about to let that all be left to waste by my brother. If need be, we will leave this monastery.”

“Where would we go?” Harumi questioned, looking back over at Lloyd as if to wonder if he was reconsidering giving up his own plans of harboring her somewhere.

“I’m...not sure.”

* * *

“Hey, Zane, can you whistle?” Skylor asked out of the blue as she finished tightening a few bolts on their makeshift watercraft. The girl stood up to pull a few stray red hairs behind her ear, and wipe a few drops of sweat off of her forehead. 

“I would assume I could,” Zane shrugged. “My vocal programming is designed to perfectly replicate the voice of a human, but...why?”

Skylor smirked. “I don’t know, I was just wondering. I always find that I like to whistle when I’m working on machinery or cleaning my knives.”

“Why would you need to clean your knives?” Zane asked.

Skylor nearly dropped her wrench and froze. “Uh...just to make them...uh...presentable, I guess.”

“I see,” Zane nodded, apparently signifying that Skylor’s answer was satisfying enough. The robot paused for a moment before parting his lips in the right way and blowing through his teeth, letting out a sharp, loud whistle that sounded almost human had it not been for the mechanical echo of his voice.

“Hey, there you go!” Skylor laughed. “Look at that, you’re already a pro.”

“Skylor, forgive me for asking...” Pixal started, and Skylor peered over at the female droid with an eyeroll.

“It’s perfectly fine, Pixal. What’s up?”

“’ _What’s...up_?” Pixal repeated confusedly, and Skylor sighed.

“It’s just an expression, Pixal, basically like if I were to walk over to you like ‘hey, Pixal, how are you doing?’ or ‘what’s going on’?”

“Oh. I see.”

Skylor couldn’t help but smile at Pixal’s cute naiveness. “Go on, Pixal, say what you wanted to say.”

“Okay,” Pixal nodded. “I was just wondering about...” she stopped for a moment, “about the world. What is the real world like out there? Is it really all completely evil?”

“Well...no,” Skylor shrugged, now realizing that even she had a few questions about all of that. “There’s still good people out there. People trying to do the right thing, to be kind and selfless..."

“Oh,” Pixal smiled. “Are you one of those people?”

Skylor let out a sarcastic laugh, but then realized she was in the presence of two artificial life forms that would be more confused by this than helped. “I mean...no one’s _perfect._ I’ve done some good things in the past, yeah. Sometimes I’ve had to do some bad things, too, but...uh...” Skylor sighed. “But they eventually lead to something good, so that makes it worth it, right?” She looked at the two robots, who still seemed very confused.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Zane confessed. “You’re saying that a wrong can be ignored if it eventually leads to you doing something right?”

“Well...”

“So if you kill someone, but then give their family a letter expressing your remorse, you don’t need to be punished for it?” Pixal asked, and Skylor stifled a laugh.

“Now, that one’s oddly specific.”

“It’s the same concept,” Zane pointed out. 

“Look guys, just...” Skylor sighed, thinking carefully. “I’m not a good- er, _great_ \- person, but...I try. I have a pretty crappy father, and the line of work that I chose wasn’t exactly what you would call innocent and good-natured. I’ve hurt people, watched them suffer, turned my back on people who needed me...” Skylor found herself staring at the ocean with a heavy heart. “Forget it, I’m beating around the bush, I am _not_ a good person. And I’m sorry I had to be the one human you got to meet.”

“Skylor...” Zane walked up to the girl and placed his cold metal hand on her shoulder. “It sounds a lot to me like you really do regret the things you do. Maybe you should leave your line of work. I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t seem that you like it much anymore.”

Skylor muttered something under her breath and turned away.

“I have enhanced hearing, just so you are aware,” Zane stated with a small grin.

“I don’t _dislike_ my line of work,” Skylor tried to convince Zane, but it was clear that he wasn’t as naïve as Pixal. “But responsibility has fallen on my shoulders, and now-“

“Responsibility that you took for yourself; it did not just fall on your shoulders,” Zane brought up another good argument, and Skylor groaned.

“...how did you know?”

“I pieced together the different bits of information I gathered from our conversations since you woke up earlier,” Zane spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Zane is very efficient that way,” Pixal added, shifting slightly as she watched Skylor walk back over to the materials. “What _does_ make you happy, Skylor?”

“I don’t know! Things like...” Skylor cut short as she realized this was a trickier question than she thought. “I mean, I enjoy...uhm...fighting, I guess.”

“Fighting?” Zane questioned. “Do you compete?”

“No, not in competition. I do it more for...”

“Fun?” Pixal offered, clearly very confused.

“No. I do it for-“

“Work,” Zane’s bright blue optics widened as he pieced together another string of information. “You _fight_ for work. And you keep knives clipped to your waist, which could mean...”

“Zane...” Skylor cleared her throat nervously. “It’s not what you-“

“It could mean you’re a paid hand,” Pixal realized as well, and suddenly Skylor’s personal space felt so much smaller.

“You think I’m a _bounty hunter_?” Skylor scoffed. “I may fight a lot of people, but I don’t just do it for a little extra cash.” Although, deep down, Skylor wouldn’t admit that she herself actually had taken up a few jobs in the past for the sole reason of making money for herself.

“Then what do you fight _for_?” Zane repeated again, seeming less confused now and more suspicious. “Fame? Glory?”

“Maybe it’s just all I have, okay?” Skylor yelled a bit louder than she expected and then sighed. “I didn’t really have much of a childhood, and my later teenage years were used to train me to become a powerful, deadly warrior for my father. But now he is no longer a problem for me, and I can utilize my skills in whatever way I want.” Skylor narrowed her eyes as she looked at Zane. “I do this because it’s helpful.”

Zane simply shut up and nodded silently, returning to work. Skylor noticed some sadness there, even in his artificial expression, but she told herself she needed to ignore that. _You’re getting all emotional with two_ robots, _suck it up._

The trio continued working on the rough skeleton of the boat until the sun began to set and Skylor went to bed.

* * *

When Skylor awoke, she didn’t awake peacefully. The loud whirring of engines overhead snapped the redhead out of her dreams in an instant, and she slid across the floor to grab her knives so she could be prepared to meet whatever was above them.

“What in the name of-?” Skylor trailed off and she was quickly woken _all_ the way up as she looked up at the dozens of warships flying through the sky above the lighthouse. She couldn’t make out and distinctive marks or designs, so Skylor pulled her upper body back out of the window and rushed downstairs.

“Zane, Pixal, what’s going on?” She asked frantically, finding the two droids already peering outside themselves.

“It seems that Garmadon is sending out entire armies across the sea,” Zane explained, even his own voice filled with awe. “What could be so important to send such an excessive force?”

Skylor felt herself grew pale. Was this because of Lloyd? No, it couldn’t all be for him; that’s overkill just to rescue one person. Garmadon wouldn’t send out an army of his own unless...

_Dangit, he’s going after MY army._

“Is that boat anywhere close to finished?” Skylor asked, gaining a puzzled look from Zane and Pixal.

“Not nearly,” Zane shook his head. “There are still several crucial components to be constructed, not to mention we haven’t run any tests-“

“I need _something,_ ” Skylor insisted, but it was clear from Zane’s own unchanging expression that they had nothing else. Skylor thought desperately, and came up with a stupid idea.

“I need to copy your power, I hope you don’t mind,” Skylor spoke quickly as she grabbed Zane’s hand forcefully and felt his new and mysterious power course through her veins. Before Zane could question her, Skylor ran out the door and looked up at the warships carefully before making her decision.

She spat a bit of ice out of her palms, just as a test, and then began sprinting. Closer and closer to the edge of the lighthouse, Skylor vaulted herself into the air and formed a sheet of ice beneath her, holding her up as she slowly repeated this step to ascend gradually higher. Skylor coupled this with the element of Gravity, making sure that the ice wouldn’t fall against her weight.

“Skylor!” Zane shouted from below, but Skylor could barely hear him now. She was so close to one of the warships, and it was only hovering in place. All she would need was-

_CRASH!_ Skylor’s concentration broke and the ice sheet beneath her shattered into several parts, and Skylor succumbed to gravity once more. In a last ditch effort, Skylor formed a vine out of her hand using the element of Nature and grabbed hold of the side of the ship, leaving her dangling helplessly hundreds of feet in the air.

She tried to use Gravity again, but she couldn’t focus and the air was starting to get to her. Skylor felt her mind numb a little bit and her breath stiffened, so she stayed still, holding tightly onto the vine. She was about to try again when-

“Hey, what’s that there?” a high-pitched voice cried as a hand grasped Skylor’s arm, pulling her up. He threw her onto the deck, and Skylor turned to face him. 

“You’re a Skulkin,” Skylor spoke in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” the skeleton nodded. “I’m Nuckal, and _you_ , little lady, are in big trouble for trying to sneak aboard!” He raised an axe above his head as he approached Skylor, and she rolled her eyes before using ice to completely envelop Nuckal in a block of ice. With a bit of unnecessary flair, Skylor kicked the ice block to cause it to slide off the edge of the ship, but it was stopped.

“You don’t wanna try any of that stuff with us,” another Skulkin, this one with a much deeper voice, yelled at Skylor and raised an axe of his own. He pushed the frozen Nuckal aside and ran towards Skylor, who dodged a few of his swings and then used Gravity to lift the other Skulkin into the air and then throw him across the deck into a bunch of boxes.

Skylor looked around for any more guards before pulling out one of her knives and entering the interior of the ship. She closed the door as quickly as she had opened it, and searched the room for anything of use.

“Gotcha,” Skylor smirked to herself and approached a computer against the wall. She ran through the ship’s transport logs, and then mission briefing before coming across something of interest. A file titled “Mission Objective” caught Skylor’s eye, and so she opened it. 

Skylor read softly to herself, “Your mission is of great importance. A longtime enemy of the Emperor must be destroyed. Take the army to the provided coordinates and leave nothing alive. Chen must be killed,” Skylor finished with a gasp, covering her mouth as she heard footsteps outside the door. She walked in front of the computer and readied her knife for the next attacker.

This time, instead of another Skulkin, it was someone far worse. The figure walked into the room and shut the door behind him, sealing himself and Skylor in a confined space. He wore black pants and a biker jacket, with thick shoulderpads and two crimson katanas sheathed across his back. A black helmet concealed his head, but the blood red visor displayed two frightening sharp eyes.

“Mr. E,” Skylor deduced quickly, pulling out another knife as to have one in each hand. “I remember you. Last I saw you, you were blasted clear off the deck of another ship.”

Mr. E didn’t respond, even in the slightest bit, and extended the edge of his katana to Skylor’s chest instead. She looked down at it in surprise for a moment before gritting her teeth and whacking his arm back. Skylor grabbed onto one of the support beams in the room to swing herself around Mr. E and kick his legs, causing him to stumble forward. Skylor grabbed his arm and prepared to send a punch, but Mr. E sent a strong punch to Skylor’s stomach instead.

“ _Ngh...”_ Skylor grunted, clutching her abdomen with one hand as the other prepared to send Mr. E off the deck again with her power.

Mr. E realized this quickly and grabbed his other katana off of the floor, so that he could hold both. Skylor grit her teeth and did the same, holding both knives out in front of her. Mr. E struck first, the much longer blades of his katanas feeling much heavier against Skylor’s short knives. Forced to backpedal, Skylor alternated between knives to block each swing before bringing them together in an ‘X’ shape anytime Mr. E would try coming down with both katanas at one point.

_Left, right, left, right, cross!_ The pattern had become redundant but incredibly necessary for Skylor to make it out alive, and she once again couldn’t focus enough to rely on the elements. Mr. E swung for Skylor’s leg, and the girl knelt one knee and brought her knife down to block it. While there, she tried landing a lucky cut across Mr. E’s chest, but he stepped back in time.

Skylor took the moment to breathe slowly, looking her opponent straight in the eye to find that, to her horror, he was far less tired than she was. Mr. E proved this again by rushing forward and sliding just before Skylor’s feet, locking her legs in his own to cause her to fall down onto her backside. As she struggled to get up, Mr. E towered above her and extended his katanas at her throat.

Skylor could hear her heart beating. In all of her years as a trained assassin, as the _most dangerous woman in the world,_ she had never lost a fight, much less be at the mercy of another’s blade. She looked up at Mr. E in fear, and he tilted his helmeted head just a bit as if he were amused by her.

Skylor’s eyes started darting around the room, at anything and everything she could possibly use to escape. Her knives were on the floor, just out of reach, and Mr. E clearly noticed her paying attention to them and placed his foot on the hilt of one to make it that much harder to take. The katanas seemed closer to Skylor’s throat now, and she could almost feel the sharp, cold blades grazing her neck.

“I can cut you a deal,” Skylor offered desperately, but Mr. E didn’t respond. “I’m wealthy, _very_ wealthy, and I can pay you handsomely if you let me go.”

Mr. E still made no sound, nor had he done so at all this entire time. The room was frighteningly quiet, and death felt closer than ever, leaving Skylor to shut her eyes and accept what was about to happen. All of this had been for nothing...

Skylor breathed slowly, feeling her heart beating at a more regular pace, and her muscles relaxed. She opened her hands and allowed the elements to pass into her palms, trusting in what she knew. Gradually, Skylor’s hands began to pulse with electricity, and she quickly brought her hands together and focused a beam right at Mr. E’s chest, sending him flying across the room. His body slammed into the wall and fell to the ground.

Skylor sighed in relief and stood to her feet, clutching her stomach. _Ugh, that’s gonna leave a nasty bruise,_ she thought to herself, and then walked back out to the deck. Skylor considered her next few steps. _The soldiers need me back on the island...but how will I get there? I could use the ship, right? I don’t know where to go, though...but I could follow the other ships!_

Skylor was starting to like this idea before another thought dawned on her. _I still need Lloyd. The soldiers won’t stand a chance against Garmadon’s forces, at least not yet. I should use this ship to find Lloyd quickly and bring him with me to the island...ugh, but I might not have time!_ Skylor kicked the wall in frustration. _Freaking Lloyd Garmadon, I hate how I always need his help._

Skylor finally reentered the control room and was about to start piloting the ship when she realized something was missing. Mr. E was missing, and Skylor now regretted not killing him when she had the chance. Skylor looked around in fear, hoping that he wasn’t watching her from somewhere, waiting to strike. So Skylor carefully walked out onto the deck again to establish a plan.

_CRASH!_ A large crate was suddenly vaulted in Skylor’s direction, knocking her back so far that, even after a few moments, she couldn’t feel her feet on solid ground, and realized she was falling once again. The ship seemed smaller in the distance as she fell farther and farther down, back first.

The air was getting to Skylor even more than before, and her arms fell limp. If it weren’t for the sudden rescue by Zane, using his powers, Skylor would definitely have met her demise.


	15. Out of Necessity

Skylor woke with a pounding headache, giving her serious déjà vu. Was this seriously the only way she would ever wake up in this place?

Skylor let out a slow, surprisingly shaky sigh, and brought herself into a seated position in her bed. Her normal outfit had been traded out for...shorts? Skylor raised an eyebrow at the black pair of shorts in confusion, but smirked to herself anyway. It was nice to give her legs some open air all the way out here on the ocean, and it was definitely a step up from the old robe Zane had given her before. Skylor winced in pain as she felt that nasty bruise on her stomach, and then noticed the large bandaging straps that wrapped all around her waist from the hem of her shorts up to her chest, which was covered with her normal sports bra that she wore under her typical outfit.

Skylor tried to ignore how much her stomach hurt and brought herself to her feet, examining the large amount of bandaging. Whoever had done this, had done a good job. 

“You’re awake!” Pixal’s cheery but sudden voice caused Skylor to jump. “Oh, my apologies, Skylor. I was just waiting for you to awake so I could see if you were able to stand.”

Skylor smiled and walked up to Pixal effortlessly, spreading her arms a little. “Well, guess I’m fine, then.”

“Indeed,” Pixal nodded. “Well, it’s the middle of the night – 11:27, to be precise – and I don’t want to keep you awake...”

“No!” Skylor’s eyes widened and her heart sank. She grabbed Pixal’s shoulders and looked her in the eye. “I need to get that boat working _now._ ”

“Oh,” Pixal spoke sadly. “I’m afraid Zane was right when you asked before; the boat isn’t nearly ready to be used on the water. I mean, it’s only a skeleton now! We haven’t even begun working on the outer coverings, let alone-“

“Pix,” Skylor cut the female droid off, bringing a finger up to her cold, metal lips. “It’s _very_ important to me that I get myself out on the water as soon as possible. I...I can’t explain everything right now, but Garmadon is going to kill my men, and if he only strengthens his empire because of it, it will be all my fault.” Skylor sighed. “Please, Pixal. Stay up with me, as long as we need, and we can finish this boat together. I _know_ we can.”

Pixal still looked uncertain but then she smiled. “I’m glad you’ve found your optimism.”

Skylor smirked. “Atta girl, Pixal! Now, let’s hurry and find Zane. We’ve got a _lot_ of work to do.”

* * *

Kai wasn’t a big fan of Walker from the start, but now it hurt to see him go – not because he himself wanted Walker to stay, but because _Nya_ did. Whether Walker was one of Wu’s “chosen ninja” or not, she liked him. But, beyond that, she really, deeply, cared about him.

Now Kai would have to put up with a moody, depressed sister for the next week and a half, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. So now, late at night, with only a few sacred hours until all of the pirates were set to leave, Kai was forcing himself to go to Walker’s room and talk some sense into the captain.

Kai came to the door and knocked lightly. He wanted Walker to come quickly, but he _definitely_ didn’t want Cole or Nya to have any reason to rub something else in his face if they found out he was doing this. Fortunately, Walker came to the door as expected, and he was clearly very shocked.

“Kai?” Walker asked, looking around. “What’s the problem? Is Wu organizing an emergency meeting?”

“No, nothing like that,” Kai shook his head. “I need to talk to you, man to man.” The fire elemental attempted to peer into Walker’s room. “It’s just you in here, right?”

“Yes,” Walker nodded, and then moved aside to let Kai in. “Please, take a seat.”

As Kai settled himself on the floor, and Walker sat across from him, the two shared an awkwardly long silence before Kai broke it with a nervous cough.

“So...?” Walker asked, expecting Kai to have spoken by now. “What’s so important that you had to wake me at this hour?”

“Well...” Kai trailed off and had to bite his tongue. _This is about Nya, not you,_ Kai thought to himself. “Look, Walker, I’m going to tell it to you straight. I haven’t liked you since the start."

Walker rolled his eyes. “Now, _that_ was pretty obvious.”

“And I didn’t trust you,” Kai added. “ _Especially_ when it was you who captured us in the first place. But, Nya stood up for you, and even helped me change my view of you...somewhat. I may still not like living with you anymore than you like living with me, but we both seem to have a common goal: making Nya happy.”

“You’re sure you’ve got me all figured out, huh?” Walker raised an eyebrow.

“Dude, just hear me out,” Kai groaned. “You need to _stay_ , at least for a little while longer. You can still let your pirates leave, and they can have Flintlocke take over as captain for a while or something.” As Kai noticed Walker roll his eyes, he continued. “It wouldn’t be permanent, and you can have your crew pick you up take you away for good eventually when it’s a better time."

“And why is _now_ not a good time?” Walker asked.

“Look around, man,” Kai gestured around figuratively. “Everyone is worried. Everyone is _scared._ Lloyd and Harumi are both at high risk, and it’s probably only a matter of time until we’ll be forced to defend ourselves. Wu said there were seven ninja, and you _are_ one of them. We might not have the full set yet, but five out of seven is a whole lot better than four out of seven.”

Walker laughed. “That sounded kinda dumb.”

“But it’s true,” Kai shrugged. “I dunno, I was never very good at math, but I at least know that five is bigger than four.”

“You mean it’s _greater_ than four.”

“I don’t care.”

Walker sighed. “I don’t know, Kai, I mean I wish the best for all of you, not just Nya. If you really do have to fight Garmadon, I hope you’re ready. But I can’t just stick around for the sake of sticking around.”

“You’d be here to help us,” Kai assured him. “You’ve had your powers for way longer than us. I’m not saying I want you to teach us, because I _don’t,_ but you could at least...y’know...lead by example.”

Walker thought for a moment before giving Kai an amused grin. “So...I stay here, do whatever crazy exercises Wu wants me to do, have a place to stay, aaaaaand,” he paused and Kai could see a mischievous glint in Walker’s eyes. “...and I can possibly, maybe, hopefully pursue a relationship with your sister?”

Kai’s eyes widened and he almost looked grossed out. “Well, when you say it like that, it sounds super creepy, but...I’m not in charge of the decisions Nya makes. If you ask her out, and she...says _yes..._ ” Kai groaned. “You’ll...have my blessing, I guess.”

Walker laughed. “You _really_ want me to stay, huh?”

“I’m not allowing you to date my sister just because of that,” Kai shook his head. “It’s because I’ve _seen_ you, even on the island, and how much you’ve cared for her. You may be a dirty old pirate, but,” Kai ignored the look her got from that, “but you’re a good guy. And I’m thankful for that.”

Walker blinked. “I...don’t know what to say.”

“Then _don’t,_ ” Kai grumbled as he stood up and moved to the door. “I can only take so much sappiness before it rots my brain. Goodnight.”

* * *

Skylor was ecstatic. The construction of the boat, as she had hoped, was progressing quickly with the nonstop, hour by hour work she and the two droids put into it. Zane was still a bit adamant, but admitted that, if stretching their limits, the boat would be ready to float in a few more hours, but _only_ if they were very careful.

“The only catch is that we’re attempting to accomplish at least three days’ work in less than a day,” Zane explained. “Pixal, my dear, hand me the socket wrench, please.”

Pixal obliged and handed her companion his desired tool. Pixal herself was currently working on wiring the controls, while Zane completed the integrity and support builds and Skylor fastened the outer pieces.

“You know, I really have to thank you guys,” Skylor admitted with a smile. “You saved me, gave me a place to sleep...all of that stuff. I don’t...have a lot of friends, so...thanks.”

“There is no thanks necessary,” Zane stated, but smiled back. “But I accept it nonetheless. You are most certainly welcome, Skylor. I hope you find what you are after.”

Skylor nodded, pondering that herself. She would need to find Lloyd first before even considering taking on any of Garmadon’s forces herself. She didn’t want to allow them even more time to diminish her army, but she would certainly die with them if she went alone. _Gosh, I hope Lloyd decides to trust me again. This whole stinkin’ thing depends wholly on him. AGAIN._

“Well...there we are,” Pixal cheered as she closed up a panel and stepped back to look over her work. The navigation system is prepped and the manual controls have been properly set to a desirable sensitivity. Now all that is left is the outer covering and the stability of the boat.”

“I’m almost finished with that,” Zane spoke up, still fastening more bolts. “I estimate another five minutes until it will be ready for travel.”

“That’s great,” Skylor smiled widely, sighing in relief. “This is coming along so well.”

“It is now 5:42 in the morning,” Pixal announced. “I am surprised we were able to complete the boat in such a short few hours, but...we have succeeded in our attempt.”

Skylor looked at the two cheerful droids and couldn’t help but feel her spirits lifted. Not only had she built a way to find Lloyd and get to the island, but she had clearly given Zane and Pixal more enjoyment and interaction than they’d had in years. “Say...how much do you two enjoy living here?”

They both looked confused, which was becoming a stereotype at this point. “What do you mean?” Zane asked. “This is our home, of course we enjoy living here.”

“Zane and I are very happy here,” Pixal agreed, walking over to wrap her arms around Zane’s tall torso. “If I were to spend the rest of my life here in this lighthouse with him, I wouldn’t find a single reason to complain.”

Skylor bit her lip. “Well...what if I take you with me?”

Both Zane and Pixal’s interests seemed to be piqued. “With you?” Pixal asked in wonder. “To this person you are looking for?”

“Not exactly to him, just...” Skylor paused. “I want to keep you guys around. You’re fun, you’re caring, you’re helpful and intelligent...most of the actual _people_ I know aren’t nearly as compassionate and human as you are, as weird as it may sound.”

Zane nodded slowly. “I see.”

“You would become our new owner?” Pixal asked.

“No. Just your friend,” Skylor smiled, really hoping she could get them to agree. _Geez, Skylor, and you thought Lloyd was going soft..._

Zane looked at Pixal, and she looked at him. They seemed to communicate somehow through an alternate form of dialogue, and then Pixal nodded to Skylor. “Zane and I accept your offer. We wish to come with you, to be your friends and to see the real world. I’m personally quite excited to see what it is like.”

Skylor rubbed the back of her neck. “Not all of it is good, Pixal, but it’s not all bad either.” Still, Skylor was glad that the decision had come quickly. Most humans would have to discuss such a thing for days, but not Zane and Pixal. The two droids didn’t _need_ the lighthouse, and seemed that they would gladly go along with Skylor to further explore the world.

* * *

After a few more minutes, the boat was on the water and they began loading a few supplies, mainly other parts that Zane and Pixal had collected in the other boxes and Skylor’s clothes and weapons. The redhead had given Pixal a funny look when she suggested that she remain in the sports bra and shorts, but she decided not to disagree. Her bare legs and arms would definitely be thanking her out on the water.

“Your other clothes are covered in blood anyways,” Pixal explained. “Your stomach was more than just bruised.” She gestured to the bandage wrapping around Skylor’s waist, and Skylor laughed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hopefully, wherever Lloyd is, they’ll have a decent washing machine.”

“We’re all set,” Zane announced as he slid himself into the seat with the wheel and looked at Skylor. “Where do you wish for me to take us?”

“Give me a second,” Skylor took a breath and closed her eyes, using the element of the Mind to search deep into her memory for the location of the monastery. She remembered Lloyd being left in the ship inside his cell, how she had teased him and then left with the others to meet Wu. The location came to her, and she began typing it into the navicomputer. “It’s not completely specific, but I’m sure it won’t be hard to find a huge monastery once we’re in the general area.”Zane nodded and started the engines.

* * *

It was sunrise when Cole awoke. He looked over at the clock, groaning at the time, but glad that he wouldn’t have to be shaken awake by Wu’s loud, crashing gong like most other mornings. The earth elemental walked down the hall to the kitchen, and realized Wu wasn’t there like he normally was.

Cole found Wu outside, standing at the entrance with the large wooden doors swung open. His left hand was held behind his back and his right hand held his tall walking staff. 

“Sensei?” Cole asked. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Cole, I was simply thinking back on these last few days’ events,” Wu explained, turning to face the boy. “Are _you_ alright? It is not like you to wake so early on your own.”

“I couldn’t sleep all that well,” Cole shrugged. “Too much on my mind. Uh...about my family, I guess.”

Wu nodded. “Kai and Nya are orphans, and Lloyd is my nephew, but you yourself still have a family back home, don’t you?”

“Yes...”

“And you wish to see them?”

Cole thought about it for a moment. “Yes. Wait...no! I mean, yes. I mean...is it _wrong_ if I want to see them?”

“Certainly not, Cole. I would not ask you to stay here against your will if you wished to go back to them. And yet...” Wu smiled. “You stayed.”

“Because I can do something here. Kai, Nya, and Lloyd are ironically the best things that ever happened to me,” Cole confessed. “I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had always been _told_ what I was going to be: a performer. But now, I’m not sure of that anymore, and nothing has felt more _right_ than what I’m doing here and now.” 

“You are sure?”

“I am. I am willing to commit to this team.”

Wu smiled. “You are a good man, Cole. And trust me, you will see your family again, I promise. Perhaps once things settle down and my nephew and Harumi are off the radar, we can pay a visit to your folks.”

“That would be great, Sensei, thanks,” Cole beamed. Then he noticed Wu’s expression falter, and pressed Wu again. “What’s wrong now?”

“There’s someone here,” Wu explained. “Someone who was not invited.”

“You’re sure?” Cole asked nervously, looking around. “Is it Garmadon’s forces?”

“No,” Wu shook his head. “No, I am certain it is not. At least, not yet. Our visitors are at the bottom of the mountain. Go wake the others so we can meet them.”

Cole nodded and hurried off.

* * *

“I don’t like this,” Kai repeated for the fifth time that morning, and everyone else rolled their eyes collectively. “If it isn’t Garmadon, then who in the name of the _First Spinjitzu Master_ managed to find this place?”

“Maybe it’s an old friend of yours, Sensei?” Nya guessed.

“No, it is not,” Wu answered simply. “I can hear their footsteps, be ready for anything.”

Lloyd absentmindedly, almost without thinking about it, stepped in front of Harumi to protect her, and the princess had to bite her lip to avoid the huge smile that she knew was coming.

Everyone brought themselves into defensive position as they waited in painful silence. The footsteps grew closer and louder until a knock came at the door. Kai looked at Cole, and then Nya, and then back at the door. “Well, _that_ was a bit unexpected.”

“I am going to answer the door,” Wu sighed as he hesitantly walked forward and pulled the door open. Wu was met with the glowing blue eyes of an odd stranger.

“Hello, sir, I am Zane, built to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Zane introduced himself and linked arms with the other droid beside him. “And this is my companion, Pixal.”

“Hello, Zane and Pixal,” Wu spoke awkwardly, not at all used to meeting robots in such a manner. “How can I help you?”

“It’s how you can help _me_ , Wu,” Skylor’s voice caught the old man by surprise, and she walked up beside Zane and Pixal. “I need to talk, and I need to see Lloyd.”

“No _fricking_ way,” Nya’s eyes widened, and she noticed similar reactions from the others.

Wu led the three visitors inside, and dark glares were exchanged all around. Skylor nearly laughed at the sight of Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Cole all wearing their black gis. “So you’re wearing matching outfits now? That’s cute.”

“And what exactly do you call _your_ outfit?” Cole shot back with a laugh of his own, gesturing to Skylor’s sports bra and shorts. “The new ruler of the island likes to dress casual, I see.”

Skylor rolled her eyes. “My normal clothes are covered in blood, but that’s not important. I need to talk to Lloyd in private.”

“You can talk to me here and now,” Lloyd corrected Skylor stubbornly, folding his arms. “Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of them as well.”

“I see you haven’t changed,” Skylor sighed.

“You’d be surprised.”

“Your father’s forces are after my men, and my father in particular,” Skylor explained. “Their warships are already on their way, and they’re going to kill _everyone_.”

“Tell me why I should care,” Lloyd narrowed his eyes, and this cold remark got a bit of a look from Wu. 

“Because of her,” Skylor pointed to Harumi. “I know you two are enjoying your little vacation getaway here with Wu, but if those soldiers find my father in the dungeon and _kill_ him...” Skylor raised her arms. “She’ll be dead, too. I still never found a way to dispel the curse.”

“Well, we _did_ ,” Lloyd shrugged. “I’m working out all the kinks as we speak, and soon enough I’ll be able to cure her.”

“With your power? You can do that?” Skylor raised her eyebrows and looked over at Wu. “He can do that?”

“The bottom line is, Skylor, I already said no to your offer to join you,” Lloyd reminded her. “I appreciate you letting me and the others go, but that doesn’t mean you’re forgiven.”

“I don’t expect that,” Skylor shook her head. “You can be annoyed with me all you want, I don’t care. I find it kinda amusing anyway. But _my_ bottom line is: they’re going to get Chen long before you’re prepared to heal her yourself.”

Lloyd still glared at Skylor, but she could tell that he knew she was right.

“What do I have to do?” He asked after a long pause.

“Lloyd, _no_ ,” Nya warned Lloyd, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“She’s right, Nya, they could have already taken the island by now, for all we know. All they have to do is shoot Chen in the head, and Harumi will be gone.” Lloyd looked back at Harumi with a sad smile. “Whatever it takes, I’ll make sure she isn’t harmed.”

“Good,” Skylor nodded. “I’m going to need your help for a full assault on the island, but I’ll fill you in on all of the details on the way. My boat is parked at the bottom of the mountain.”

“We’re not just letting Lloyd go alone with _you_ ,” Cole scoffed. “And...who _are_ these two?” He pointed at Zane and Pixal, who simply smiled and looked around. Tension was high between Skylor and the others, but they were just happy to be surrounded by so many real people.


	16. With or Without

“Your persistence bores me,” Lloyd spoke just loud enough for Skylor to hear, pulling out the stepstool and setting it up in the middle of the kitchen.

“And your stubbornness causes me to lose my patience,” Skylor sighed and gave her reluctant ally an impatient glare. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at Lloyd as he climbed up the ladder to start unscrewing a lightbulb attached to the chandelier. “Do you _really_ have to be changing a lightbulb right now?”

“Well, my uncle wants it done soon so that no one’s stuck doing the dishes late at night in pitch black again, so...” Lloyd smirked. “I’d say this is important.”

Skylor knew that if it were humanly possible to be giving Lloyd even more of a dirty look, she would have surpassed it soon enough. “You’re just stalling and wasting yours _and my_ time just to...” Skylor groaned, looking like she was ready to pull some of her bright red hair right out. “Just to make me mad at you!”

“Maybe there’s a bit of that, too.”

“Look,” Skylor grunted, stepping forward and shoving her shoulder into the ladder, nearly causing Lloyd to fall over as the ladder wobbled back and forth.

“Hey-“

“I need your cooperation, and I _really_ need you to cut your crap,” Skylor almost growled, sounding more like an annoyed older sister than a temporary ally. She reached up to grab a fistful of Lloyd’s shirt, but his own hand caught hers. “Stop looking at me with that stupid smug grin,” Skylor glared up at him. “It’s not amusing.”

“As you wish,” Lloyd rolled his eyes and returned to his work.

Skylor blinked. After another shove on the ladder, harder this time, Lloyd looked like he was about to flip. “Are you _trying_ to give me a broken leg or something when you say you need me?”

“Don’t be a child,” Skylor scrunched her nose and gave the ladder another budge. “You wouldn’t break your leg from falling off of a three foot stepladder.”

“Either way...” Lloyd came down off of the stepladder and looked Skylor right in the eye, like he had when he had yelled at her in the cell all that time before. Skylor wanted to curse him for his height advantage, as she suddenly felt very underpowered against him. _Dangit,_ she hated being the most deadly woman in the world, and still feeling incapable against _Lloyd._

“’Either way’ what?” Skylor asked impatiently.

“Either way, I’d _appreciate_ if you wouldn’t try _so hard_ to get me to hate you when you clearly need my help the most,” Lloyd pointed out. “It doesn’t make much sense, but then again, that might just be your personality showing through.”

“Oh?” Skylor scoffed. “You’re the one who claims to be your father’s ‘dark successor’ and here you are wearing the gi of a _ninja,_ a role that he would certainly have shunned. If anyone’s personality is at question here, it’s yours.” She jabbed a finger at Lloyd’s chest and he simply took another step towards her. The gap between them was scarily shrinking.

“Being a ninja was my own personal choice,” Lloyd stated firmly, folding his arms. “And my relationship with my father is...none of your concern. Besides...” a cocky grin overcame his stern frown, and Skylor noticed this quickly. “...you aren’t too well dressed for _your_ self-proclaimed title, either.” He waved his hand around amusedly, gesturing to the black shorts and sports bra that Skylor still hadn’t changed out of. “I bet all of your cultists _really_ are liking their new boss, huh?”

Skylor turned red and punched Lloyd in the shoulder, not roughly, but enough to get her point across. “They’re my _soldiers_ now, and this is _not_ my regular look. Besides, my normal clothes aren’t washed yet since your uncle’s washing machine takes a _painfully_ long time to do anything, and I was turned down each time I asked for something else to wear.”

“You want _Nya’s_ clothes, and I’m sure as hell that she wouldn’t loan them to you,” Lloyd rolled his eyes.

“Is there seriously no other girls in this place except for Nya, Harumi, and me?” Skylor laughed. “No one here at least has, like...a _blouse_ or something?”

“Well, you wouldn’t like it, but you could always borrow some clothes from the _pirates,_ ” Lloyd teased, and Skylor groaned.

“I am so _done_ talking to you. Oh wait,” Skylor sighed. “It would seem I have no other choice. This whole conversation has achieved nothing, so I _still_ have to go over the plan with you.”

Lloyd shrugged. “Go ahead. I’m just changing these lightbulbs, anyway.”

Skylor placed a hand on her forehead. “I’m in pain, so much _pain...”_

“You’re being overdramatic now.”

“Well, whatever!” Skylor frowned, sitting down at the kitchen table and propping her elbows on the surface. “Look, at this point, at least most of my men are either killed or captured, but this could be a good thing.”

“Go on.”

“With the amount of warships that your father sent out, he’s probably sent at least the better _half_ of his forces, right? Maybe more...”

“How many did you see?” Lloyd asked curiously.

“Tons, maybe around forty warships,” Skylor estimated. “I literally _woke up_ to the sound of their motors, so it’s definitely possible that there were some ships that I never even saw.”

Lloyd nodded. “Yeah, that’s quite a good chunk of my father’s army. Go on, I want to know where you’re getting to with this.”

“My plan is, we both head out to the island, take out some of those warriors, rescue any of my men that are still alive, _and_ get my dad out of that dungeon and safely sneak away with him before he gets killed.” Skylor sighed. “Easier said than done, I know.”

Lloyd thought for a moment and came down from the ladder. “Your plan is pretty insane, but it’s definitely possible. I have my own suggestions, however.”

“Such as?” Skylor raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t just take me,” Lloyd grinned. “We’ll take Cole, Nya, Kai, and your two robots with us.”

“You want to take those _novices_ out into the field of battle?” Skylor laughed in disbelief. “They wouldn’t last. I thought Wu said they just started training a few days ago.”

“Yes, but they have potential,” Lloyd assured her. “Trust me, I’ve trained with them and know what they’re capable of. They _will_ be coming with us, or you don’t get me at all.”

“You’re bluffing,” Skylor scoffed. “I know how much Harumi means to you, you wouldn’t let go of the opportunity to save her life over a petty disagreement.”

“My demands still stand,” Lloyd spoke in a lower tone than normal. “Regardless of what you think.”

“Whatever, we have a deal,” Skylor sighed in defeat and extended her hand for a handshake. “We’ll take them with us, but they’d had better not ruin this whole operation.”

Lloyd hesitated before accepting the handshake. “It’s decided, then. When do we leave?”

“Five hours,” Skylor decided. “Should be plenty of time for you to get yourself and your cohorts prepped, and for me to get some...other clothes.”

* * *

Nya was ecstatic about the news that Walker was staying. She tried not to show it too much, but the big smile on her face and her uncharacteristically giddy personality (uncharacteristic except for when she had gotten drunk with spiked tea) were very much obvious to everyone, including Walker. The captain, as soon as he had waved his crew off and watched the fly off into the clouds, took notice of Nya’s perky attitude. She would sway her arms around sometimes and he would catch her stealing a look over at him when she was _supposed_ to be training, and he could only enjoy the attention.

Now, clad in a black ninja gi like the rest, Walker had to adapt to his new temporary way of life – one that unfortunately required taking orders from Wu. 

“Hey,” Nya spoke in a suspiciously high tone, walking over to where Walker was digging through the gear to find a preferred weapon.

“Hey,” Walker nodded, looking up at her and snickering at the stupid smile on her face. “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”

“ _Sorry_ ,” Nya shrugged. “I’m just really surprised that you decided to stay after all. I mean, you seemed pretty decided about the whole thing until just now.”

Walker gave Nya a cryptic grin and turned back to the gear. “I had a bit of encouragement, but that’s all I’m going to tell you.”

Nya blinked. “That’s fine, I guess. Either way, you’re a ninja now! How does it feel?”

_Feels like bad memories,_ Walker thought to himself bitterly but managed to fake a smile for Nya. “It feels pretty good. Definitely a change from the life of a pirate.”

“Oh, I wanted to show you!” Nya, eyes widened cheerfully and she stretched out her arms in preparation. “I finally learned how to properly suspend water spheres in place. Watch.” Nya lifted one arm up and dropped the other to her side, and in a matter of moments, a small droplet above Nya’s hand quickly grew into a head-sized sphere, floating around. Nya waved her hand up, down, and around to display her newfound control over the element.

“That’s great,” Walker smiled. He enjoyed seeing Nya excited like this. There was a youthfulness about her that he felt himself drawn to, but he figured it was her resolve and determination to keep up with the boys that made Nya seem more like an inspiring interest rather than just a pretty face. Walker had seen her kindness, her frustration, but more importantly, her heart. This was odd for the pirate, since hardly anyone had the guts to open up to him of all people.

“So, I overheard Lloyd and Skylor talking earlier,” Nya started a new conversation without much delay. “Sounds like they want to bring us along to save Chen.”

“I don’t wanna do _anything_ for that man, unless maybe it involves getting him back for enslaving me and my men for all that time,” Walker groaned.

“Harumi will die if we don’t go get him,” Nya assured Walker. “That makes it important enough, right? Besides, this might be a great chance to break into your powers again.”

“Break into them?”

“Yeah, you know...” Nya looked for the words. “I’m just saying you can use Garmadon’s soldiers as some good practice.”

“Gotcha. Still...” Walker sighed. “I thought the reason you all wanted me here was so that I could train _here,_ in a controlled environment with Wu.”

“Have some patience,” Nya teased as she nudged Walker’s shoulder and began to walk away. “We get in there, get Chen, get out, and then we’ll have all the time you want to train.”

* * *

“I don’t like this,” Wu paced back and forth in his room, not at all convinced with the details of his nephew’s plan. Lloyd stood in Wu’s doorway, realizing more and more that this was going to be difficult. “You know just as I do that Kai, Cole, and Nya are still new students. Even you yourself have much to learn, Lloyd.”

“Yeah, but I know enough to kill a bunch of soldiers,” Lloyd pointed out, and Wu gave him a look. “I mean...I know enough to _take them down_. Besides, they’re my father’s men, and I know exactly how to fight them. Cole and the others can stay behind me the whole time and pitch in where it helps. Skylor and I will take the lead from start to finish.”

“And you are certain that this will not merely end with you all being imprisoned again?” Wu raised an eyebrow. “That island hasn’t been anything beneficial so far.”

“Chen’s survival is crucial for Harumi’s survival,” Lloyd stated as he folded his arms. “I don’t entirely like having to be on that island again, but I’m doing what’s best to protect those who need protection. If I let them eventually find Chen, they’ll undoubtedly kill him.”

Wu shook his head sadly. “You have a good heart, Lloyd, much greater than I knew before you came to me, but it _could_ get you into trouble. I just don’t want your feelings for Harumi to cause you to do something you’ll regret.”

“My feelings are well founded,” Lloyd stated firmly. “I’m not doing anything irrational, I’m doing what needs to be done.”

Wu sighed and thought for a long moment. “You may go with Skylor, but not with my students.” Lloyd looked at his uncle with disbelief before tossing his hands into the air and walking away. “Lloyd, don’t leave like this,” Wu called out. “Don’t leave with such a bitter mindset.”

“I _have_ to do this, Uncle,” Lloyd called back from the hallway as he kept walking. “If I have to do it without Cole, Kai, and Nya...I will.”

* * *

The boat was soon loaded and the small group was now ready to depart. Lloyd, Skylor, Zane, and Pixal all prepared to leave, and their small amount of luggage was already packed away. Wu and the others stood at the bottom of the steps to the Monastery, watching in disappointment as Lloyd entered the boat behind Skylor.

Lloyd looked back at them and sighed. “I’ll return, I promise.”

“It’s what you’ll return _with_ that I’m concerned about,” Walker pointed out. “This trip had better be worth it.”

Lloyd looked over at Cole, then Kai, and then Nya, thinking again on how much he wanted to bring them along. Was he selfish for wanting to give them experience? Was he wrong to expect that they trusted him now enough to go with him?

And _Harumi_...

The young princess looked over at Lloyd with about as much uncertainty as he was feeling. She appeared relieved that he was setting out to save Chen and consequentially save her life, but also worried about the assassin that Lloyd was trusting in.

“Do you have your head in this or not, Lloyd?” Skylor asked, snapping the blonde out of his thoughts. “I need you focused if we’re gonna do this all on our own.”

Lloyd nodded. “Y-yeah. We can leave.” After another moment, Lloyd took one last look back at the group watching him, and took a seat beside Skylor, waiting for Zane to fully prep the motor. It still felt weird to be intentionally going along on this uncertain trip with the woman that he had only a few days ago considered to be his enemy. Now what was she? A temporary ally? Certainly not a friend, at least not yet.

As the boat began to speed off, Skylor noticed Lloyd’s unrest. “You do know I’m not going to try to kill you, right?” She laughed and bent down to grab her lunch: a peanut butter sandwich and some grapes. “Amongst everything that’s happened, I think the idea of killing you has kinda lost its appeal, you know?”

Lloyd shook his head. “No, I don’t think I do know.”

Skylor looked over at Lloyd as she took a bite of her sandwich. “You’re not loyal to your father anymore; that much is clear.” She took another bite before continuing. “I’m not getting paid to kill right now, either, so there’s nothing I’d get out of it besides revenge. And even then, you haven’t done anything _too_ terrible to me yet.”

“Yet?”

Skylor shrugged. “I think you have enough respect not to go back on your word. I know how much this mission will ease your conscience, too, so...” the redhead bent down to grab Lloyd another sandwich. “Feel free to sit back and relax.”

Lloyd took the meal gratefully and did as Skylor suggested, leaning back in his seat and looking out at the wide sea. “I’m curious,” he spoke after some time. “Where did your two droids come from? Did you buy them?”

“Good heavens, no!” Pixal laughed, rubbing her shoulder up against Zane’s. “Could you imagine, Love? Being _sold_ back and forth like some sort of inanimate machines?”

Lloyd nearly choked on his sandwich.

“Not at all,” Zane smiled. “People sell machines, yes. _Dishwashers_ and _televisions_ , not droids.”

“Alright, so your two droids are a couple,” Lloyd observed, trying not to get weirded out. 

“I think they’re married, but I don’t have the heart to ask,” Skylor whispered.

“Are they... _programmed_ to love each other?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow and looked over Zane and Pixal who both gave him innocent smiles.

“My _admiration_ for Pixal is not programmed, I assure you,” Zane explained. “She is a beautiful model – one of the most advanced prototypes ever created. Even newer designs haven’t been prettier.” Pixal simply melted in Zane’s description of her, and as soon as Lloyd noticed her blushing, he was beyond preventing himself from freaking out.

“You must be _incredibly_ advanced,” Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Even my father’s own droids don’t display so much human-like mannerisms and expression.”

“It wasn’t exactly part of our programming,” Pixal sighed. “I do not even understand it, but we’ve both excelled in comprehending the human nature more than any other machines. We found each other, and in more of a bonding way, we’ve become compatible.”

“So can you actually reprodu-“

“Lloyd!” Skylor punched Lloyd’s shoulder and he glared back.

“What? I can ask that, can’t I?” Lloyd raised his hands quickly in defense. 

“We...” Zane seemed as if he were about to choke on his next few words – not in a disgusted way, but as if he couldn’t manage an answer. “We’ve never tried...”

“I can only assume...” Pixal trailed off, just as sheepish as Zane.

“ _Alright,_ I brought this group together, and I am _not_ listening to this incredibly disturbing conversation all of the way there!” Skylor yelled, looking as if she were ready to stand up there in the boat and put her hands on her hips in a bossy manner. “Let the droids _keep_ their secrets.”

Lloyd thought for a moment before shrugging. “Very well. Would’ve been the most interesting conversation this whole week, though.”

Skylor ran a hand down her face and looked over at Pixal. “You _see_ why I was hesitant about bringing him?”

Pixal blinked at Skylor confusedly, glanced at Lloyd for a moment, blinked again, and then gave a sweet smile and shrugged her shoulders.


	17. Back Again, Unfortunately

It was five hours into the trip and the moving waves had made traversing the harsh oceans rather difficult. “I am programmed with the necessary skills to safely transport us to the island,” Zane called back against the loud winds, “but I cannot ensure we will make it there speedily.”

“Just...ah!” Skylor groaned as she felt another wave drench her. “Just...keep going! We’ll have to make do with what timing we’ve got.” Zane nodded back, so Skylor hugged her arms close to her chest and held her head low, bracing for the next wave.

Lloyd seemed to be putting up with the raging storm much better than Skylor. The blonde sat there calmly, his arms folded and his eyes focused on the distant sky. Hundreds of raindrops landed on his head and rolled down his face, but Lloyd hardly paid any mind to it. This made Skylor wonder if he had been in conditions like this before on missions for Garmadon...

“The seas are usually much worse than this,” Pixal flashed her signature sweet smile at the two humans as if she assumed that this fact would cheer them up. “On top of this, there are usually several leviathans that Zane has to fend off when traveling out here. So, in the long scheme of things, we’re off to a great start!” Pixal slowly noticed the unchanging faces on Lloyd and Skylor, and sighed before leaning back into her seat. “Just making it clear...”

“Just how often _does_ Zane sail out here?” Skylor raised an eyebrow.

“At least three times a week,” Pixal answered.

“This far out to sea?” Lloyd asked in disbelief. “We’re hours away from the monastery.”

“Our lighthouse isn’t far,” Zane called back. “From there, it won’t be long until we reach the island. Skylor, do you know if there’s a place where we can dock?”

Skylor’s eyes widened. “I really don’t know. Garmadon’s soldiers may have already done away with that.”

Lloyd looked around at the group. “Wait, so I understand that Zane has elemental powers – that’s great – but...what does Pixal do?”

Zane and Pixal simply smiled at each other and Skylor was lost for words.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Pixal answered vaguely.

* * *

Walker wasn’t cut out for this stuff anymore, and that was becoming increasingly evident, despite Wu constantly drilling into his mind that he will improve with training and discipline. All of the exercises were familiar – he had done them himself at a much earlier time – and his powers were already mastered, for all he cared. Walker bitterly realized that Nya may be the only reason he was forcing himself to stay.

“Right cross!” Wu called as his students followed his direction. “Uppercut. Left swing. Right cross! Sweeper kick.” He continued naming off different series of stances and attacks, watching as Kai, Cole, Nya, and Walker all did as he said in unison. “Straighten your shoulders, Nya,” he warned, walking over to the girl who seemed to be slightly falling behind the others. “A strong posture goes hand in hand with my direction. If your body is not properly prepared, your mind will not be ready to follow.”

Nya nodded her head quickly. “Yes, Sensei.” 

“Kai,” Wu went on, “you seem to be a perfect opposite from your sister. She must work on straightening her form, while _you_ on the other hand are far _too_ straightened. You are swinging too recklessly, and you’re leaving yourself open every time you overreach.” Wu sighed. “There seems to be much you all still have to learn.”

Kai groaned, hanging his head. “Yes, Sensei.”

“Chin up, students,” Wu corrected, gesturing for them all to face him in a standing position. “There is much left for each of you, but it is not too far out of your reach. But now, it is becoming increasingly obvious that _all_ of you need better conditioning.” Wu walked over and tapped Kai’s stomach with the end of his staff.

“Hey-!” Kai sputtered.

“I look at each of you and see raw potential, but not much of it has been used of late,” Wu continued. “Not very long ago, you each lived as slaves working at a warlord’s whim, but now you move past that, and strengthen not only your minds, but your bodies as well.” Wu looked over his students before chuckling. “Cole, here, is the only one that I see with a decent pair of arms.”

“-hey!” Kai and Walker argued at the same time, and Nya rolled her eyes.

“Everyone, _including_ Nya, will emerge from my monastery fully conditioned _and_ toned,” Wu went on. “As ninja, you must have something better to show for your abilities than your elements alone. That is why you will all be running up and down the steps of this mountain for the next two hours.” Wu turned to leave, and was stopped by the eruption of complaints.

“ _Two hours???_ ” Cole’s eyes widened and he looked at the others. “Does he realize how humid it is outside?”

“And, uh, isn’t this place called the Mountain of a _Million Steps_???” Kai exclaimed. “That may be an exaggeration, but it’s still a lot of steps.”

“Enough!” Wu silenced them quickly. “You will all do as I have ordered, or you will be given _everyone’s_ chores for the next week.”

* * *

The heat had begun to simmer, and the four ninja climbing the steps were sweating more than they ever had. Cole took the lead, claiming he had a bit of past in rock climbing, even though climbing steps wasn’t exactly the same thing. Kai held his head back and shut his eyes. His mouth hung open as he pleaded for air, and Walker chuckled behind him.

“Too hot for you, Master of Fire?”

Kai glared back. 

“This...is...” Nya panted, struggling to keep up behind the others. “This is...a heck...of a workout...” The Water Ninja held the back of her hand up to her forehead, smearing off some of the hot sweat from her face. Completely exposed to the sun shining overbearingly against the mountain, Nya felt increasingly tired. “I can barely...feel my legs...”

Walker looked back at Nya with a bit of pity before his face lit up a bit. “If you want, I can carry you on my back-“

“Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh, noooo _ooooo,_ ” Kai butted in, almost laughing. “My sister is perfectly capable of climbing up a bunch of steps.”

“Why don’t you let her tell that to me herself then?” Walker challenged.

Kai looked as if he had a quick response, but then discarded it and grumbled something to himself under his breath. 

“Thanks, Walker,” Nya panted, managing to come up closer behind him. “But...I’ll be fin _nnne_ YAA-“ she cut herself off as her whole weight began to tip sideways over the edge of the steps towards the great absence of land, and Walker managed to catch her arm before she could slip.

“You’re about to pass out,” Walker observed.

“No...”

“You’re dehydrated, Nya, he’s right,” Cole stopped the group and turned to look at the girl. “Heck, all of us are.”

“Well...” Kai thought for a bit. “Nya, you’re the Master of Water, after all, couldn’t you just, like...make some?”

Nya first looked at her brother as if he had said something incredibly stupid, but then her expression shifted and she slowly nodded her head. “I guess you’re right...let me try something.” With that, Nya lifted her hands and held them out. She shut her eyes and focused on her palms, soon forming a large sphere in either hand. “Might as well make it quick, boys, I...” Nya panted for breath again, “I can only keep this up so long.”

They each looked at each other in a very confused manner before Cole walked past Kai and Walker to penetrate the floating orb with both hands, and then pulled them back to himself to drink the water from his cupped hands. As he finished, his eyebrows shot up and he smiled. “Tastes fine to me. Just regular water.”

Kai and Walker followed Cole’s lead, taking more of the water into their hands and watching in awe as the absence of water was instantly filled with new water by Nya. She took her own hands and brought them up to her mouth, greedily guzzling down the rest of the water she had summoned. “Much better.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we’re a team,” Kai chuckled. “Our powers can help each other out more than I thought.”

“Well, we’re _almost_ a whole team,” Walker pointed out. “Our supposed leader dumped us to go with that redhead chick to save Chen. I wonder how long he’ll be gone, if he ever comes back at all.”

“He _will_ come back,” Nya insisted firmly. “He’s a good guy now, and he’s got a lot waiting for him back here. His uncle, Harumi, his new way of life, _us_...”

“Oh yeah, cuz I’m sure we mean a whole lot to him,” Walker rolled his eyes. “No offense, Nya, I just don’t see any reason to believe that Lloyd could possibly want anything to do with us.”

“We’re his _friends_ ,” Nya whispered, but it wasn’t heard as the boys continuing walking up the steps, leaving Nya to begrudgingly follow behind.

* * *

“This complicates things,” Lloyd gulped as he looked at the island, at all of the dozens of trees that had been chopped down and the warships responsible sitting on the shore nearby. There didn’t seem to be any soldiers here at the time, but the amount of equipment here was enough to worry the group.

“This _complicates_ things?” Skylor asked in disbelief. “Lloyd Garmadon, I _told_ you exactly what you needed to expect.”

“Yeah, well this is my first time _seeing_ it,” Lloyd hissed back. “If there’s this many ships on the shore, I can only imagine how many are already set up at the palace. Did you set up any sort of defenses?”

“Not enough, apparently,” Skylor sighed. “I hate to say it, but I think we’re a bit too late to the fight. Looks like the island’s been taken, and I can only guess that they’ve taken the palace already, too.”

“Which means they’re closer to finding Chen,” Lloyd groaned.

“If I may interject,” Zane spoke up, gaining the attention of the two. “I have run a scan of this section of the island, and it would appear that there is a narrow path through the jungle that we could take. It would bring us close to the palace without risking unnecessary combat, and would get us there much quicker than fighting our way through the soldiers.”

“You know about this?” Lloyd asked Skylor skeptically.

“I think so,” Skylor nodded. “I used to use some of the hidden paths here on the island to sneak away from the palace whenever Dad would start...uh, never mind that.”

Lloyd raised an eyebrow but let the topic pass.

“Zane and I can lead you,” Pixal stood up to get out of the boat. “It should only take a matter of hours before we arrive at the palace.”

Lloyd and Skylor looked at each other exhaustedly before climbing out of the boat and following the two droids onto shore. Skylor felt the fabric of her pants dragging behind her feet, and let out an exaggerated groan. “It’s gonna be hard enough to engage the enemy in combat, much less walk through the jungle in drenched clothes.” Skylor patter herself down helplessly. “This is hopeless. Every attempt I make to work towards _any_ goal, there’s something new blocking my way.”

“Like me getting in your way of getting Harumi?” Lloyd guessed.

“I still _did_ get her, whether you interfered or not, didn’t I? Then, after a few weeks of watching her dance and feed snacks to my father, I got rather sick of it, it brought back distasteful memories, and I realized that nothing about the job had been beneficial to me in the first place.” Skylor paused and looked at the sand beneath her feet. “Now, after all of this, I’m at an even worse spot than before.”

“Well, as long as we get Chen and break the spell, we’ll have a much stronger group waiting for us back at the monastery,” Lloyd shrugged.

Skylor blinked confusedly. “You mean, waiting for _you_. Are you trying to keep me around longer?” Skylor found this amusing more than upsetting, and made sure she conveyed this in her expression.

Lloyd seemed to really not want to answer that question, but he nodded. “Yes. Like you’ve said before, we make a good team. Now that I’ve found myself on opposite sides with my father, I’d say I have every reason to keep you around.”

“All except for my _own_ approval,” Skylor rolled her eyes.

“You already want to go after my father, and-“

“Excuse me,” Zane raised his voice and stopped dead in his tracks. He held up a hand and looked around frantically. “I believe we are being watched.”

Skylor narrowed her eyes and leaped in front of Zane, engulfing her right hand with her power. She whipped her head around in every direction, but found nothing. “Zane, are you sure? I don’t see or hear anything.” Skylor began to turn around, but was interrupted as a large mouth rose from the jungle and flung itself at her from behind. Skylor fell to the ground, narrowly missing a pair of venomous teeth, and found herself sitting on her backside face-to-face with a huge snake. 

The snake’s beady red eyes and dark purple scales had been enough to frighten Skylor when she was a small girl on this island, but now it was only a nuisance. Only a few seconds of staring down the snake were necessary before the serpent curled back and appeared passive, slithering back away from the girl. Skylor stood up, saw Lloyd’s dumbstruck face, and smirked. “There’s quite a bit you’ll find out about this island.”

“That the snakes don’t actually hurt anyone for some reason?”

Skylor shook her head. “Oh no, they definitely would have gone after you, if it hadn’t been for my presence here. I grew up with the snakes, spending hours watching them in the jungle. How they live, fight, hunt, survive...as weird as that may sound, it was some of the only entertainment I got.” She continued to walk, and the snake seemed to slither alongside her as if they were two longtime friends enjoying company.

Lloyd didn’t follow after her, but put a hand on Zane’s shoulder to stop him. “How much do you actually know about Skylor?”

“A significant bit,” Zane said. “Nothing much regarding snakes, however, except for the clear tattoo on her back.”

Lloyd folded his arms. “A tattoo?”

Pixal nodded. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice, considering that, when she came to you at the monastery, she was wearing the sports bra I gave her. I think she wears her hair down when she wants to make it less obvious, but there is quite clearly an intricate dark purple tattoo of a serpent on her back.” Pixal thought about this for a moment and gave a bit of an echo-y humming sound. “Perhaps it is very important to her culture here.”

“Yeah, well her father is an Anacondrai _cultist_ ,” Lloyd explained dryly, not exactly enjoying having to describe the man. “His men here are all the same; their outfits, weapons, and architecture are all deviated from the biology of the Anacondrai tribe.”

“Interesting,” Zane rubbed his metal chin thoughtfully. “And...what of these Anacondrai? I have heard of them – they are ancient Serpentine – but why worship them over any other snake?”

“Well, the Anacondrai were all wiped out decades ago, but they were said to be the strongest warriors who ever lived,” Lloyd explained, although there wasn’t much he had to tell. “Their scales were so tough that no blades could pierce them, and the only proven force that could best them were elemental powers. I believe my father once told me that Chen had wanted to find a way to harness the Anacondrai’s power – to create an army of half-snake, half-human soldiers that not even the Elemental Alliance could destroy.”

“Do you think...” Pixal started slowly. “And I don’t mean to sound distrustful...do you think that maybe Skylor intends to carry out that plan? To create Anacondrai warriors, if that is at all possible?”

Lloyd shook his head. “Contrary to what Skylor would like you to think about her being all tough or whatever, she’s the complete opposite of her father in just about every way. Doesn’t exactly mean she’s got perfectly good intentions about every little detail, but she’s got her head in the right place...generally.”

“She mentioned her goal to eliminate your father from the throne,” Zane pointed out.

“Exactly,” Lloyd nodded. “She and I may disagree on what to do with the throne after that is done, but I’ll be sure to handle that myself.”

“For now,” Zane emphasized with a serious tone, “It is still best to keep an eye on Skylor. Every time something significant comes up, we learn another part of her character and intentions. This tattoo...” Zane sighed, “...still worries me.”

“You coming, Lloyd?” Skylor called back as she finally turned to realize they hadn’t moved an inch to follow her. “I hope you’re not getting to interested in those droids to focus on the mission at hand.”

Lloyd simply began to walk after Skylor, gesturing for Zane and Pixal to walk beside him, and they began their slow venture into the jungle.

* * *

“This is insane,” Lloyd commented on the surroundings as he pushed his way through yet another series of vines. “I thought you knew of _paths_ through this jungle that lead to the palace. _Paths._ Not taking detours through miles of shrubbery and thorny vines!”

Skylor sighed and looked over her shoulder at the boy. “This _is_ a path, even if it may not be cleared for easy walking.”

“Isn’t that the point of a path?”

“I’ve lived here my whole life, Lloyd,” Skylor reminded Lloyd coldly. “I’ll get us to the palace before sundown, don’t worry.” With that, Skylor looked up into the sky and quietly mumbled something to herself. “Actually, scratch that. We’re _not_ gonna make it before sundown. This works out fine, though, since it’ll be easier to sneak in when it’s dark.”

“I feel that it is crucial that I bring to light the seriousness of our situation,” Zane froze and looked around at the dirt ground around them. He tapped his left foot three times, paused, and did the same thing again. “I cannot tell for sure, but I don’t think the ground beneath us is what it seems to be.”

“Speak more specifically!” Lloyd facepalmed.

“I believe we have walked onto the nest of a wild- AH!” Zane was cut off as the ground gave way below the four travelers and pulled them into an awful mess of dirt and dust. As the light above them was blocked away by more and more dirt, the hole they found themselves in was feeling more and more like a final grave.


	18. Mama Snake

“I officially hate this island,” Lloyd coughed up a bit of dust as he managed to bring himself into a sitting position that didn’t cause more dirt and rock to fall on top of his head. The surrounding dirt barriers were quickly depriving the elemental of his oxygen, and there didn’t seem to be any way out.

Lloyd looked around for the others, and spotted something white poking out from a mound of dirt. Lloyd scrambled over, pulling on the white object (a hand, he quickly discovered) and recovered Pixal’s robotic body from the dirt. She looked up at him with blinking, damaged lights behind her eyes, flickering on and off at random moments. “Pixal, are you okay?”

“I am fine,” Pixal nodded. “Thank you. I am bringing all of my systems back online now. The sudden collapse caused several functions to stop working temporarily.”

“Do you know where Zane and Skylor are?” Lloyd asked.

“I am over here,” Zane called out, and instantly Lloyd realized that this underground trap went on for much more distance than he had assumed. Lloyd and Pixal crawled carefully over to Zane who sat patiently, scanning the dirt for any possible way out. “It would seem, unfortunately, that we have been forced underground almost an entire mile.”

“How?” Lloyd exclaimed. “We’re gonna run out of air real quick, if that’s true.”

“No,” Zane shook his head with a smile. “The good news is: this was an intentional entrance to an ancient series of tunnels and catacombs underneath the island. Based on the writings on the walls, it would seem that these tunnels were used by the Anacondrai worshippers you spoke of.” Zane then had a thought. “Or perhaps, by the Anacondrai themselves.”

“So...why is the air still so thin?” Lloyd asked.

“It won’t be once we enter further through the tunnel. I have already pointed this out to Skylor, and she is already trying to make sense of the writing to see if the writer’s left behind any form of directions.”

Lloyd groggily picked himself back up and rolled his shoulders, realizing very quickly that his back had taken a bit of a hit during the fall. Lloyd looked around again before following Zane and Pixal further into the tunnel and, to his surprise despite Zane’s earlier comment, felt the air feel much more breathable than before.

“Clouse’s magic...” Lloyd heard his voice slightly echo against the tunnel walls. “It’s never made much sense, but I guess its doing us more good than bad at the moment. Skylor, have you found anything?”

“Yes, yes,” Skylor nodded absentmindedly, not taking her eyes off of the walls. “Besides these annoying drenched clothes and how we are incredibly lost, I believe I can find us a way to the palace through these tunnels.”

“I thought you wanted to find a way out of the tunnels,” Pixal pointed out.

“Yes, yes, but that was before I realized that I recognize them,” Skylor smirked and turned to the others. “This series of catacombs is spread out underground across the entire island. My father liked to believe that the Anacondrai used it force slaves and workers underground to work in labor camps.”

“Well, that would explain all of the ancient writing,” Lloyd nodded. “Can we actually use the tunnels to sneak into the palace undetected?”

Skylor beamed. “Not just that, I think we may be able to bring ourselves directly into the dungeon where my father is being held. As long as he hasn’t been found yet, all we have to do is take the right tunnel, break a hole through the cell floor, pull him through with us, and leave the island. From there, we just need to get him back to your little girlfriend and the day is saved,” Skylor teased, watching victoriously as Lloyd turned slightly red and frowned at her.

“This seems too easy,” Lloyd argued.

“I didn’t say there wouldn’t be complications.”

“We could run into a dead end.”

“I never said there wouldn’t be detours.”

Lloyd sighed and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. “Whatever you say, Skylor. As long as we get this done quicker than the soldiers find out that the dungeon exists, we’ll take your dark little tunnel if it makes you feel better.”

“I’m sure it’ll be _you_ who’s relieved when we’re done here, not me,” Skylor laughed.

“If I may bring up a contradiction,” Pixal cleared her throat. “I believed that part of the original plan was to stop Garmadon’s forces from completely killing the cultists. A plan in which we use the tunnels to sneak in, take Chen, and leave would most certainly avoid that part of the idea altogether.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Pix,” Skylor shrugged, but they could tell by her expression that she wasn’t completely at peace with this. “Those soldiers up there have had days on us. _Days._ If we had enough time to build a fully functioning motor boat, go to Wu’s monastery, pick up Lloyd, and come here in a raging storm, there’s no way they haven’t wiped out at least the majority of my men.”

“They are your only army,” Zane raised a metal eyebrow.

“I’ll start over,” Skylor offered, but her heart wasn’t in it. “It’s clear now that my army wasn’t enough. I would have died with them.”

Zane thought on this for a long moment. Then he nodded. “That is true. It would seem that you were, in fact, intended to be stranded on your own in the middle of the ocean. For, if you had not, you would be dead and would not have met Pixal and I, found Lloyd, or been given a second chance to stop Garmadon from winning yet another fight.”

“I guess you’re right,” Skylor whispered.

“Come on, then,” Lloyd spoke after a long sigh, finding it within himself to act much more optimistically. “We have a job to do, and Harumi’s life is on the line. We need to move quickly, so please,” he stepped to the side and gestured into the tunnel, “lead the way, Skylor.”

* * *

Harumi was finding herself bored quite frequently now, and it hadn’t even been a day since Lloyd and Skylor’s departure. Sure, she was beyond thrilled and grateful for their desires to save Chen and ensure that she could live, but Harumi missed _Lloyd_ , and how she could always find him training somewhere if she felt bored like she did now. Harumi had no idea how soon she could expect Lloyd to return, nor did she have any real assurance that he _would_ return, and yet she still clung to a childish yet comforting thought that, no matter what, Lloyd would be back and things could start to change for the better.

Harumi had attempted to busy herself with cooking, even taking a lesson from Wu after being delighted with his unique breakfasts he served for the team. Cole had suddenly begun to show some talent in cooking as well, and so Harumi found herself gratefully accepting Cole’s help and companionship when he offered to help prepare dinner. He was still pretty awful at making some things, but he was quickly much better than she was, and so now Harumi found herself handing over the job to Cole entirely and retiring back to her bedroom.

The hours ticked by and Harumi tried drawing. The red sky made her remember the view from the royal palace in Ninjago, and the soft grass reminded her too much of Lloyd’s hair. With a groan, Harumi plopped herself down onto her bed, blowing a strand of her white hair out of her face in frustration. Being a not-princess was not a whole lot of fun, considering that she didn’t know how to do too much outside of that area.

And to think, just a few weeks ago, she could have avoided her capture and continued to fight for her throne, although Garmadon would probably have done worse things to her than simply throwing a slave girl outfit on her and forcing her to dance like Chen did. Lloyd had originally promised to have his father not be involved in the way Harumi was treated, but even he now didn’t seem to trust in that idea anymore. 

In a way, Lloyd _was_ all that Harumi had outside of being a princess. She now lived in the monastery where she was safe, and had constant opportunity to bond with the others, but Lloyd had always been the one she opened up to and she was there for _him_ when he did the same to her. Life didn’t make a whole lot of sense any more – heck, it sometimes felt like a _nightmare_ – but somehow Harumi was strangely getting used to it with Lloyd.

Suddenly a knock came at Harumi’s door and she sighed before calling, “Come in.”

The door creaked open and in came Nya, with a smile on her face and a tray of cookies in her arms. She came to Harumi’s bedside slowly, holding out the tray generously. “So, after you left the kitchen, Cole finished up dinner and made this batch of cookies.” Nya grinned, bringing the tray closer to Harumi’s nose. “Smells good, right?”

Harumi rolled her eyes at Nya’s youthful tone, but nodded her head and gratefully accepted one of the cookies, plopping the warm, sweet treat into her mouth. A smile crawled across her lips and she made a mental note to later praise Cole on a job well done. Even the finest cooks in the royal palace had never made her such perfect cookies.

“Want another?” Nya winked knowingly, extending the tray and watching as Harumi quickly nodded and seized another cookie. As Harumi swallowed, Nya asked, “So, how are you holding up?”

“Hmm?” Harumi shrugged her shoulders, and guiltily found herself taking a few glances back at the cookie tray. “I’m fine, I guess. Just a bit bored and unneeded, is all.”

Nya frowned. “Unneeded? Harumi, we _all_ enjoy your company, and we’re glad to give you a home with us. You might not be a _ninja_ or anything, but-“

“But that’s just it,” Harumi folded her arms and looked down at the sheets on her bed. “Everyone here is readying themselves for war, it seems, but I’m left here, day after day, doing nothing and hoping I’m safe here for the distant future. I don’t _want_ to be a ninja – or, at least, I haven’t _considered_ it, and I don’t have an elemental power.” Harumi looked down at her hands sadly and then back up at Nya. “Not to sound depressing, but I’m kind of a waste of space lately.”

Nya thought about this solemnly before nodding. “I understand where you’re coming from, Harumi. But you must remember that me and the boys literally _just_ became ninja. It’s only been a handful of days, and _believe me,_ we’ve got a long way to go. Maybe now, your purpose is to prepare for something else.”

“Like what?” Harumi raised an eyebrow.

“Once we kick Garmadon’s sorry butt off of the throne, it’s gonna be given to you,” Nya spoke simply, but those words held much more weight to Harumi. “Maybe now, you need to start thinking about what kind of empress the people need right now.”

Harumi resisted the urge to let out an un-ladylike groan. “The question never escapes me,” she assured the Water Ninja. “Even my own dreams won’t let me ignore the thought of ruling Ninjago, no matter how hard I try. I...I talked about this a bit with Lloyd, and he agrees with me. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this kind of thing. What if...” Harumi felt a bold yet reckless idea come to mind. “What if I just _don’t_ take the throne? I’m happy enough here-“

“Are you?” Nya sighed, shaking her head. “You were just giving me reasons of why you feel useless here.”

“ _Because_ of the amount of pressure the throne puts on me,” Harumi pointed out, a bit desperately. “I could live a normal life. Have a real job. Experience success and disappointment just like any normal citizen. Start a _family_...” Harumi trailed off, figuring that it was best to stop before she got too far ahead of herself. “I just don’t want the responsibility, as terrible as that may make me seem.”

“What would Lloyd say?”

Harumi couldn’t think of a response for a good while. “I...I don’t know. He would support me in whatever I choose, I guess, but...”

“But he would want you to assume responsibility and do the right thing for the _good of the people,_ ” Nya gave Harumi a small, comforting smile. “A lot of the time, the choices we make don’t benefit us as much as they are a benefit to others. I mean, look at Lloyd, for example. He’s putting _everything_ on the line. Everything he’s ever known, because he knows that what he’s doing now is the right thing to do.”

Harumi nodded. “You’re making me feel really foolish, you know that?”

“Yeah, I was kinda hoping to warm your spirits with cookies, not make you feel gloomy,” Nya laughed nervously. “Speaking of which...you’ve been eyeing these cookies again for a while. Take another. Or a dozen. Your choice.”

Harumi rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t want to eat up all of Cole’s hard work.”

“Oh, he’s made four other trays,” Nya snorted. “You might as well keep this one, and I’ll just say I stored some away. This will be our little secret.” Nya laughed and walked over to the door. 

* * *

“We’re nearing the palace,” Skylor announced, continuing to lead Lloyd, Zane, and Pixal through the frustratingly long tunnels. “All we need is to find where the dungeon is above us, and then blast through the floor to make a big enough hole to drag my father to.” Skylor turned to Lloyd expectantly. “I hear you’ve been training to focus your energy attacks.”

Lloyd nodded. “Just tell me where to aim.”

“Guys,” Zane almost yelled, sounding far more distraught than normal. “I’m getting readings of some kind of life form down here with us. My heat sensors aren’t picking up a warm-blooded creature, though.”

Skylor hitched her breath and gave a shaky sigh. “I forgot about that...”

“Forgot about _what_?” Lloyd exclaimed.

Lloyd’s answer came in the form of a long and loud hissing sound echoing off of the walls all over the place. It continued longer, and was soon accompanied by a pair of bright red eyes peering at them in the distance. 

“Another snake?” Lloyd asked, stepping back slowly.

“Not just any snake,” Skylor shook her head. “That’s the biggest one of all. The mama.”

‘Mama’ snake made her presence known with an even louder hiss, curving herself back before lunging forward at surprising speed for her size, just narrowly missing Lloyd’s ankle and slamming into the floor behind him. She quickly recovered and shot at Skylor, who ducked and then grabbed hold of the snake from behind the head.

“We need to get rid of it,” Skylor groaned, barely able to hold the incredible size and strength of the snake back. “Lloyd! Kill it!”

Zane quickly analyzed the situation and began encasing the snake’s back half in ice, only further enraging her but keeping her more easily held. “Do we know if killing her is the only way to alleviate our problem?”

“It’s a _snake_ , Zane,” Skylor grunted, still tugging. “Do it, Lloyd! Do- AH!” Skylor screamed as the snake managed to wriggle its head around and trade positions with the redhead, slamming Skylor onto her back and almost instantly coming down on Skylor’s stomach with her fangs. “AH!”

Lloyd quickly moved on from the shock of what happened and formed a sphere of bright green energy. With a second’s hesitation, Lloyd brought the energy down onto the snake, creating a loud shriek as the body was torn in two. With both ends still wriggling, Lloyd reached over to rescue Skylor from the head, tossing it away for it to slowly die. “Are you okay?” Lloyd and Zane helped Skylor up while Pixal scanned her body for injuries.

“I’m...fine,” Skylor winced in pain, clutching her stomach.

“That snake injected you with her venom,” Pixal informed her with concern. “Your life could be at huge risk.”

Skylor shook her head, but still clutched her stomach. She turned herself around to show off her back, which was made more exposed due to her shirt being a bit torn from the snake’s attacks. “Take a look, Pix.” Sure enough, there was the large and intricate tattoo. The dark purple depiction of a serpent seemed to be almost faintly glowing now, and as it shone in the dark, Skylor shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Wait...” Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Does the tattoo protect you or something?”

“I was given this tattoo on my 16th birthday,” Skylor sighed, feeling the healing energy overcome her. “Most cultists here were given the tattoo at some point, and it’s purpose is to keep us safe from the snake’s venom, since we spent so much time around them. On top that, it was just a large part of our culture.” She winced again and waved the others off. “I just need a minute to recover.”

“Fascinating,” Zane nodded. “I’ve never heard of a tattoo with magical properties.”

“First I’ve heard of it, too,” Lloyd narrowed his eyes now and looked back over at Skylor. “Just how much exactly does that tattoo heal you from?”

“Just venom, I guess,” Skylor shrugged. “I’ve never been affected by anything else to find out.”

“The snake bit you on your stomach where your previous wound is,” Pixal pointed out. “The bruise that Mr. E gave you when he hit you.”

“You fought Mr. E?” Lloyd asked, folding his arms. “You never told me you already engaged my father’s forces before this.”

“He got in my way when I was trying to find information,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Now, please...” she stood to her feet. “The dungeon should only be a few more yards away. Finding the giant snake here made that clear.”

“What exactly was that?” Pixal asked. “An Anacondrai?”

“Not exactly,” Skylor shook her head. “It was always Clouse’s favorite pet. I think he had more than one down here at one point, but this one ate the others.”

“Wonderful,” Lloyd said sarcastically.

“I’m not sure why it attacked me, though,” Skylor admitted. “My tattoo is supposed to stop them from even seeing me as an enemy. It’s how I dealt with the snake when we arrived here.”

“Well, let’s move quickly then before we have more problems that your tattoo can’t fix,” Lloyd sighed, following Skylor over to a spot. He looked up at the ceiling and raised an eyebrow. “Is this the spot?”

Skylor nodded.

“I am also scanning a presence above us,” Pixal confirmed further. “It may be Chen.”

“Then let’s take this cautiously,” Zane warned. “We are here to save Chen, but we don’t know if he’ll still be hostile toward us.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Skylor retorted.

After Lloyd finished blasting the hole through, they quickly could hear a voice from above them, muttering something inaudible. “Sounds like him.” He turned to Skylor with a question. “Should I go first or should you?”

“It doesn’t even matter that I’m his daughter, I’m sure he hates us both equally now,” Skylor shrugged.

“That’s...comforting,” Lloyd groaned before beginning to climb up into the cell. His head popped up and he quickly made eye contact with the man standing there confusedly. “Chen.”

“Lloyd?” Chen exclaimed in surprise, stepping back. “How...you...what...?”

Lloyd pulled himself up and walked over to Chen. “Before you say anything, save it for once we’re alone and not as close to enemy ears. Please, come with me and stay quiet.” He grabbed Chen by the collar before he could argue and jumped back down with him. 

Chen coughed and dusted himself off for a moment before looking up at his daughter. “Oh, crap.”

“Hello, Father,” Skylor scowled, walking up and punching him in the gut. “Didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance to do that again.”

“Skylor, we need him alive,” Lloyd rolled his eyes.

“Didn’t say I’d kill him,” Skylor put up her hands defensively.

“So, what do you want from me?” Chen groaned. “Haven’t you done enough? Aren’t you responsible for all of Garmadon’s soldiers who are crawling all over my island?”

“First of all, neither of us are responsible for that,” Skylor folded her arms. “Lloyd’s with me. And second of all, it’s _my_ island now.”

“Yeah, well now it’s _Garmadon’s_ ,” Chen pointed out. He looked at Lloyd and Skylor for a moment, and then at Zane and Pixal, and then back at Lloyd before grinning. “Ohhhh, I know why you came for me. You’re scared that your pretty little Princess Harumi is going to die because you left me here to be found and slaughtered? I must say, you’ve arrived sooner than I expected.”

“Yeah, well my father’s soldiers are thorough,” Lloyd explained simply. “It’s only a matter of time before they find out how to get into the dungeon.”

“So you _are_ here for Harumi’s sake,” Chen snickered. “It feels like it was just yesterday I had her dancing for me.”

Lloyd looked Chen over before frowning and punching Chen in the gut again, harder this time.

“Weren’t you the one worried about not killing him?” Skylor teased.

“Yeah, well, he deserved that one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Llorumi on the way, don't worry ;)


	19. The Other Way

“I’m _tired,_ ” Chen complained, only to be jabbed in the back by his daughter, who was clearly running out of patience. “Seriously, don’t you think you could hold off Garmadon’s forces yourselves, even if we do get caught?”

Lloyd let out an exasperated sigh. “Let’s hope that doesn’t need to happen. Keep moving.”

“Ah, but these tunnels go on for miles,” Chen groaned. “Skylor, you know we’re walking right through Clouse’s pet’s favorite spot.”

“We got rid of it,” Skylor resolved quickly, smirking slightly at her father’s reaction.

“You _killed_ Clouse’s _pet_???” Chen exclaimed in disbelief. “You know how much that thing meant to him, Skylor, come on! That darned snake lived such a long life, too! Clouse first got it shortly after you were born, and it’s grown up with you!”

“Weird way of putting it, Dad,” Skylor laughed, although she hated giving even that sort of satisfaction to him. “If you mean it slithered around down here for twenty years coughing up dust and engaging in cannibalism while I lived _above_ ground acting as an assassin, then _yes_ Dad, it _grew up with me_.”

“Just where did you get that annoying behavior from anyway?” Chen asked.

“What? My sarcasm?”

“He means your sass,” Lloyd smirked.

“Well, it’s probably yet _another_ thing I inherited from my mother,” Skylor gave Chen a dirty glare, but a smirk of her own was still present on her lips. “What else did she give me that you couldn’t? Oh yeah, a _personality_ , hygiene, an elemental _power_...”

“You can cut out your... _sass_ ,” Chen referred to how Lloyd had put it. “It’s bad enough that I’m being forced to put my life into _your_ hands.”

“Who _was_ your mother, Skylor?” Pixal asked innocently. “What was she like?”

Skylor stopped walking and Chen erupted into bellowed laughter, leaning his head back wildly. 

“Haha, you wanna know who Skylor’s _mother_ was? Trust me, Shiny, it’s nothing interesting, and I doubt it’d give your robo-sensors any valuable data.”

“Shut... _up_ ,” Skylor nearly growled, taking a bit of a mental note from how Lloyd had stood up to her several times before.

“She was a _nobody_ , Skylor, you know that!”

“She was a member of the Elemental Alliance and a great warrior!” Skylor argued, whipping around to point her sturdy finger right at Chen’s face. “She was beautiful and she was trusting, but too trusting for her own good.”

“So she fell for Chen,” Lloyd put the pieces together pretty quickly.

“Somehow, yes,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “She died shortly after I was born, but I was never allowed to know how she passed away so young.”

“It wasn’t anything _important_ ,” Chen insisted.

“She was my freaking _MOTHER_ ,” Skylor yelled, her eyes filled with an angry fire that made even Lloyd a little cautious.

“I am sorry, Skylor,” Pixal hung her head sadly. “I did not mean to cause any pain by my question.”

“You did nothing wrong, Pix,” Skylor assured her. “It’s this _idiot_ who’s to blame.”

Lloyd took a nice long look at the father and daughter before stepping in with his arms folded. “Alright, I don’t like Chen anymore than you do, Skylor, but we need to keep moving. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll shut his mouth and walk.”

Chen was clearly about to make a smug response but stopped himself, hesitantly keeping quiet and following behind his unfortunate rescuers.

* * *

Harumi was doing a little bit better now. Morning came and she had woken just as the sun came into view behind the mountains. She threw on a dark grey and white kimono (one of the few ‘flattering’ pieces of clothing that Wu could offer her, at least until she could send someone to shop for her), grabbed some morning tea from the kitchen, and sat outside at the top of the million steps. 

In the few hours that followed, she basked in the peace and quiet while all of her housemates slept soundly in their beds, blissfully unaware of the young princess dancing around the monastery and engaging in different tasks, keeping herself occupied. As much as Nya wanted Harumi to really open up to the others, she was still so much more used to working alone. It still stung a bit, but it was alright.

As she ran out of common household chores, Harumi tiptoed her way back outside to the large cherry blossom tree, climbing up to a large branch where she could lie among the pink and pretty leaves that covered it. The view from this high up outside the monastery was – of course – quite impressive. She wondered if Lloyd had ever gotten a chance to sit up here and watch the sun rise from beyond the mountains. Perhaps, when he returned, Harumi could persuade him to sit with her up there and talk, about all of the things that ran through her mind constantly and she needed to take care of.

Harumi sometimes liked to think of what life would be like had she met Lloyd in more desirable circumstances, when his first impression of her would have been that elegant, proper princess dressed all up and standing strong for the people she ruled. That sure would have beat the tired and hopeless girl forced into slavery and made to dance in such a humiliating fashion. 

Still...she didn’t _want_ Lloyd to see her just as a princess. That’s what her internal questions had been revolving around all along, wasn’t it? As terrible as she had felt as a slave, going through this with Lloyd and seeing him evolve as a person with her had opened her eyes to so much more that she never would have seen.

So, when Wu’s metal gong rang, beckoning the ninja out of bed for another day of training, Harumi smiled to herself and kept these thoughts in her mind. She would enjoy consoling Lloyd about this soon, but for now, her thoughts were enough.

Harumi walked onto the training floor and took a breath. Kai, Nya, Cole, and Walker each lined up together under Wu’s instruction, and they all glanced over at the princess out of the corners of their eyes. Kai gave her a little nod – same as Walker – Cole gave her a small grin, and Nya smiled and gave Harumi a little wave. 

These guys weren’t so bad, especially now that they were all together. Well...minus their leader, unfortunately. 

“Harumi,” Wu greeted the girl warmly. “Good morning. I see you spent the morning watching the sunrise.”

“Yes, Wu, it’s a gorgeous view,” Harumi nodded, taking her seat on the wooden steps leading to the door. From here, she would always watch them train and improve, until she would grow bored and find something else to do. “I just needed to collect my thoughts in quiet.”

Wu smiled. “That is good, Harumi. And, while we are on the topic, I would like to involve you in today’s exercise, if you don’t mind.”

Harumi looked surprise but she stood to her feet and walked over almost instantly. “Whatever you need of me.”

“Today, we will not be doing any physical training, except for your regular stretching and personal exercise,” Wu explained as he looked at the ninja individually. “Today is special. Have you noticed?”

Each ninja looked incredibly confused, and Wu chuckled.

“Today is calm and quiet. Harumi has already noticed this,” Wu grabbed his staff and gestured around the area with its end. “Notice how the only sound you hear are the birds sweetly chirping in the trees, and my own voice. Notice how the soft mist still faintly, but ever presently, lingers across the ground. A bit of a fog is here, too. Do you notice it?”

“Yes, Sensei,” they all four nodded, and Harumi did the same.

“It is a perfect day for meditation,” Wu ended with another smile, and sat down slowly, crossing his legs. “As I have said before, a skilled ninja is only as powerful as he is able to be calm and wise in his thoughts and decisions. Each of you, sit around me, and _think._ ”

Kai blinked. “We’re just...thinking, Sensei?”

“Yes, that is what I said, is it not?”

Kai merely nodded and took his seat among the others. Each of them closed their eyes and tried to calm themselves, enjoying the peaceful breeze and the birds’ song.

This went on for about an hour, and to their own surprise, none of the ninja found reason to complain or grow impatient. It was soothing and comforting. 

Harumi, not sure what to think about, felt her mind tossing around dozens of thoughts periodically. She thought of the cherry blossom tree, Lloyd, her parents, the island, Skylor, that first night aboard _Misfortune’s Keep..._

“I’m not getting anything,” Kai retorted, and Wu let out a fairly audible sigh.

“You’ll only ‘get’ what you’re seeking to find.”

“That...makes no sense.”

“Kai, shut _up_ ,” Nya hissed under her breath, only to be glared at by Wu, who now had his eyes opened and he could see that she along with Kai had done the same. Now, Walker opened his own eyes and stifled a laugh.

“Teaching isn’t as grand as you remember, huh Wu?”

Wu didn’t give Walker the satisfaction of an answer.

Nya groaned. “Well, its hard to focus on _anything_ with an empty stomach.”

“You will eat soon enough.”

“Really?” Kai looked unconvinced.

“Why don’t you focus on food then, Kai?” Walker smirked. 

“That just makes it _worse_!”

Wu grumbled something under his beard and bowed his head again to meditate, trying his best to drown out the arguing voices of his young and opinionated students. 

“Sensei Wu...” Harumi’s voice came softer and quieter than normal, as if she were whispering to herself rather than speaking to Wu. Her eyes remained shut tightly, but her face relaxed and she smiled calmly. “This was a good idea. It feels good to calm my mind.”

Wu seemed almost as stunned as the ninja but cleared his throat and nodded his head. “That’s _good,_ Harumi. Very good.” He looked back at his students with a look none of them could properly read. “I’m mainly trying to teach Kai, Nya, Cole, and Walker to do the same, but there’s no reason not to teach you as well. You seem to have picked up on it rather impressively. Are you _sure_ your royal family hasn’t had you meditate since you were a child?”

Harumi nodded, finally opening her eyes. “Not since I was a little girl,” she shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I always felt it very comforting, and...a nice escape. It’s not quite like daydreaming, but more than that, I think. Almost like an alternate state of mind. Or something.”

Wu chuckled. “That’s a very unique way of putting it, Harumi.”

Kai leaned over to whisper to Cole, “Sensei’s already picked out his favorite, and it’s not even one of his students.”

Wu continued, “Perhaps I could have you join us more often, Harumi. Especially when Lloyd returns, I believe that meditation would be an excellent way of focusing his powers to heal you. This is a lesson for all of you to remember, the most difficult bond to break is one in which both persons are completely and selflessly unified, both benefiting one another and _knowing_ one another.” He stood up to dismiss the meditation. “One day you will all be of one mind, and that will be how you win battles, not by your own singular abilities."

“The way he put it, he almost made that sound like _marriage_ ,” Cole snickered.

“And he was looking right at Harumi when he said it,” Kai raised his arms up. “Just saying.”

Harumi, of course, heard the comments and turned red, but didn’t hide her face, in the way the Princess of Ninjago had always been taught. She simply gave Kai a roll of her eyes, stood up, and walked inside behind Wu, Nya, and Walker.

“She took that pretty personally, you think?” Cole still grinned.

“Oh, she’s _head over heels_ for that kid,” Kai shook his head in disbelief. “I’m honestly surprised she hasn’t been dying of boredom without him.”

“Uh, dumbo,” Cole rolled his eyes. “She _has_ been dying of boredom without him. It’s pretty obvious.”

“Well, let’s hope Lloyd gets back soon so things get back to normal and we don’t have more meditation sessions with Wu _praising_ Harumi’s grand focusing skills.”

“Agreed.”

* * *

“We should be quiet,” Zane recommended as he peered around the corner. Entering the palace had not been easy, but the robot managed to keep his footsteps unheard. “I don’t believe there are any soldiers on this floor, but someone may arrive soon.”

Skylor nodded. “My bedroom is on the next floor. We need to head there.”

“Your _bedroom_?” Chen exclaimed. “It’s risky enough that we’re trying to escape through the palace, let alone so close to where the soldiers may be! We are _not_ going to your room just because you want to save your stuff!”

“I’m _not_ planning to head there just for my stuff,” Skylor scowled. “There’s a secret hatch in my room that we can use to get out undetected. If we use any of the other exits, we’ll be spotted no matter what we try.”

“Use the element of Light,” Chen folded his arms.

Skylor shook her head. “On all five of us? Not a chance. Besides, turning invisible won’t keep us safe from their thermal sensors.”

“They have those?” Lloyd asked.

“You of all people didn’t know?” Skylor raised an eyebrow.

“Please, calm yourselves,” Pixal pleaded. “We must keep our voices down or else we’ll be caught before we even reach Skylor’s room.”

“Where is it?” Lloyd turned to Skylor impatiently, and she sighed.

“We have to head down the hallway and take the next flight of stairs up to the next floor,” Skylor explained. “If there are any soldiers up there, you and I will need to take them out as quietly as possible. Then, we slip into my room, grab a few things, and take the secret hatch out of here.”

Lloyd nodded. “Let’s go, then.” As Skylor led the group down the hallway, Lloyd held his hands ready to blast any attackers, but so far their location seemed to still be a secret to anyone else on the island. Lloyd went up the stairs first, slowly and cautiously, and found nothing.

“No soldiers?” Skylor asked in disbelief. “I would have thought for sure that they’d be up here looting the rooms for treasure.”

Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Or _your_ room.” 

Skylor realized as well and rushed over to a particular door before swinging it open and finding the entire room in shambles. The curtains were disheveled on the ground, her once expensive and beautiful bed was messier than ever, and a group of three Venomari all laid around on the floor or on the bed lazily, sitting up in surprise. The sight of the furious redheaded assassin sent each of them to their feet, and they scrambled for their weapons.

“Serpentine _scum_ ,” Skylor spat, grabbing one of the Venomari by the throat and punching him square in the forehead, knocking him unconscious. Lloyd did the same.

“Quite a room you’ve got here,” Lloyd joked.

Skylor glared at the mess in front of her. “Well, I guess I should have expected this.”

“Where is the hatch?” Chen asked frantically. “We need to go _now_!”

“Zip it, Dad,” Skylor shot back, looking around the room. She walked over to a closet and pulled it open, looking over the contents inside. Skylor hummed to herself for a few moments before smiling and pulling out a pile of clothes. This was followed by a case of weapons and tools.

“This is not the time nor place for making additions to your arsenal,” Zane spoke seriously. 

Skylor simply looked over the clothes with a smirk and tossed them to Zane. “Just carry these for me, will ya? Don’t worry, I won’t worry about changing my outfit and weapons until after we’re all clear.”

Zane looked down at the clothes and appeared puzzled. “Orange and black?”

“Orange is a good color,” Skylor smiled.

“Orange doesn’t look good on many people,” Chen huffed.

“Yeah, well it looks great on me,” Skylor stuck out her tongue. “Now, let’s hurry.” The assassin got down on her knees and pried at one of the floor tiles, slowly tugging it up and revealing a hidden compartment underneath. The opening gave way to reveal a tunnel.”

“More crawling around in the dirt?” Chen groaned.

“It beats staying here to get captured,” Skylor retorted. “Now, hurry up.”


	20. The Sorcerer's Use

After reaching the end of the secret passage, Skylor allowed the others to spill out behind her. She paused and looked around. “I don’t see any soldiers, but let’s try not to alert any.”

“I have a question,” Chen spoke up.

“Save it for later,” Skylor shot.

“No, no, this is important,” Chen persisted. Finally, Skylor groaned and stopped to face him. Chen grinned. “I know you only came back for me to save the princess, but what about Clouse?”

“What about him?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to Chen.

“Well, he’s the one who performed the spell, isn’t he?” Chen exclaimed. “You may be able to keep Harumi alive longer by keeping me away from Garmadon, but you can’t break the spell without the proper experience.”

“I’m learning an alternate way of breaking the spell,” Lloyd folded his arms. “One that doesn’t require any of Clouse’s unpredictable magic.”

Chen blinked. “How?”

“I’ll use my powers to heal her life force and cut off the link to yours. That’s how the spell worked, right? Her life force bound with yours...all I have to do is destroy it.”

Chen blinked again. “Wait, really? Don’t you still need Clouse to make _sure_ it works, though? I don’t know who told you that your powers could do it all perfectly, but they clearly don’t know dark magic.”

“And you do?” Zane asked.

Chen laughed. “I’m no expert, but I know enough, especially with Clouse as my personal advisor. Well, he _was_ until you decided to steal my island for yourself and throw me into a cell.”

Lloyd seemed unfazed, but Skylor’s expression worsened slowly. “Wait, Lloyd. He could be right. It doesn’t matter what Wu’s teaching you if you don’t fully understand the spell.”

Lloyd looked unconvinced. “Wu knows what he’s talking about.”

“I know,” Skylor sighed. “But he can’t explain what he doesn’t know. Maybe your power can cut the bind – I don’t know! It might work, it might not.”

“You’re saying we have to go back and save Clouse,” Lloyd caught on, glaring at Chen impatiently. “May I remind you, Skylor, that taking Chen back in with us only puts him in unnecessary danger, and puts Harumi’s life on the line for no good reason.”

“Well, do you have a better idea?” Skylor placed her hands on her hips. She had gotten to the point where she didn’t mind Lloyd’s company anymore, but she still hated his stubbornness. “We may not get another chance to get answers from Clouse.”

“Where is Clouse?” Pixal asked. “He was not in any of the cells where we found Chen.”

Chen groaned. “Oh, yeah...”

“’Oh yeah’ what?” Skylor grabbed her father by the shirt and gave him another one of her dirty looks. 

Chen rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, failing to remove the awkward grin from his face. “When Garmadon’s forces arrived here, they broke Samukai and his two pals out of their cells. When Samukai was freed, he told the soldiers about Clouse and his magic, and so they’re holding him somewhere.”

Skylor’s expression hardened and Lloyd clenched his fist.

“I don’t know where exactly they’re holding him, I swear!” Chen promised. “All I know is that they won’t kill him as long as his magic is of any use.”

Lloyd scoffed. “Your personal advisor is really that usable?”

Zane stepped in quickly. “We need to save Clouse, then. We may not know where to find him, but we can cover more ground if we split up.”

“Split up?” Skylor raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, Shiny, if we split up, it’s easier for them to capture us. And let’s not forget that we have to carry my father in tow.”

“I agree with Zane,” Pixal cut in. “Yes, we’ll stand less of a chance separated, but so will the soldiers. There really is no safe or reasonable option, so we may have to take this risk.”

Lloyd thought for a moment before turning to Skylor. “What if we leave your father with Zane or Pixal here so they can watch him while you and me look for Clouse?”

Skylor shrugged. “Either way, he’s at risk of being spotted by scouts. It really doesn’t matter.”

“Pixal,” Lloyd spoke, thinking quickly. “Are you fine with staying here to watch over Chen until we get back?”

Pixal nodded, and Zane reluctantly approved it. “Now there will only be three of us searching,” Zane pointed out. “However, each of us has an elemental power, so the odds are in our favor. Once one of us finds where they are holding Clouse, they should report in to the others."

“How?” Lloyd asked. “We don’t have coms or any kind of radio.”

Zane nodded slowly. “I suppose the person will just have to make their way back to the others and share the location in person.”

“No,” Skylor shook her head and walked over to Lloyd with a suspiciously wide grin.

Lloyd attempted to step back. “What are you- hey!” Lloyd exclaimed as Skylor grabbed his head in both of her hands rather roughly. Skylor shut her eyes and tried to resist Lloyd’s wriggling around as she focused. “Skylor, what are you doing?” Lloyd’s eyes widened as he felt a mental tapping inside his mind, as if someone were knocking to come in. Lloyd, not realizing what he was doing, seemed to allow the visitor inside.

Skylor’s voice began whispering in his head.

“AH!” Lloyd groaned out loud, shoving Skylor back. “What in the world? Did you just curse my mind or something?”

Skylor rolled her eyes. “No, stupid, I created a mental bond so we can communicate even at long distances. Just think about what you wanna say, and you’ll say it.”

Lloyd scrunched his nose and looked at Skylor funny before shrugging and closing his eyes. A few thoughts passed from him to Skylor and she laughed.

“Did you mean to share that?” She asked.

“Share what?” Lloyd asked. “I didn’t even start yet...I think.”

Skylor kept laughing. “Oh, I can tell this is going to take some getting used to. Word of advice: be careful with your thoughts. Often, you’ll send me something you didn’t mean to send, like if you’re surprised by something or just have a stupid, random thought.”

Lloyd had a blank, confused face for a moment. “Waaaaait, then what did I just send you?”

Skylor smirked and turned her back to the ninja. “That’s for me to know and for you to never find out.”

“It was _my_ thought!” Lloyd yelled angrily.

“Yeah, well now it’s mine,” Skylor shrugged. “Don’t be an Indian-giver.”

“Whatever,” Lloyd tossed his hands into the air and looked at the palace. “We need to do this quickly.”

“Finally agree with you there,” Skylor nodded.

* * *

Nya was _ecstatic._

It had only been a few days of subtle flirts and dropping hints before she had apparently won Walker over and confirmed to herself and to him that their feelings for each other were mutual. The others were clearly agitated at Walker paying more attention to Nya than to his training, but Nya obviously didn’t mind.

Now, she was about to eat lunch with him. She thought of it as a date. She _hoped_ it was a date. She _wanted_ it to be a date. After all, they really couldn’t go out anywhere since they were all supposed to stay hidden, so eating lunch together apart from the others was probably the closest Nya was going to get for the time being.

“Hi,” Nya smiled as she came behind the cherry blossom tree to sit on the grass with Walker. She placed the picnic basket beside her leg and looked at Walker excitedly. 

_Maybe I smiled a bit too much,_ Nya wondered to herself. _Wait, did I pack too much food? I don’t want him to get the impression that I see him as a glutton or something- oh my gosh-_

“You alright, Nya?” Walker asked amusedly as he watched the Water Ninja’s distant expression. 

“Oh? Oh, oh! Yeah, yeah!” Nya cleared her throat and laughed nervously. “Sorry, it’s just...been a long while since I’ve been on a date.”

“How long?” Walker asked.

It wasn’t the question Nya necessarily wanted to answer.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Nya spoke slowly as she unpacked their lunch. “I’ve had a few men- er, _boyfriends_! Uh, well they were all under 18 at the time so they weren’t _men_ , but y’know, so you’re technically the first...uh... _man..._ ” Nya coughed. “Say, would you like some lemonade?”

“Definitely,” Walker chuckled, watching the girl quickly pour him a glass. “You know, it may not seem like it, but I’m a bit nervous too.”

“Really?” Nya’s eyes widened but she tried not to look surprised. “Well, you must be good at hiding things – er, a good actor! Well, that sounds weird...you look strong! Uh... _posture-_ wise...ugh.” Nya groaned. “Can I start over?”

Walker smiled wider. “Of course. I think it’s cute.” Before Nya could react, he continued. “It’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone, too. I’ve had a few past flames, I guess, a few _pirates_ and folks I would work with, but none of them were as genuine as you, Nya.”

Nya blushed. “Okay, well, first things first.”

“Yeah?”

“If you keep complimenting me, I’m going to be too flushed up to make proper conversation.”

“...okay?”

“And second, would you like turkey or ham?” Nya held up two sandwiches.

“Whichever one you don’t pick,” Walker shrugged.

“That’s not what I was asking for.”

“I’m just letting you get the first pick of sandwich.”

“But I want you to go first.”

“Fine. Turkey.”

“Great.”

Nya passed the sandwich to Walker – a bit stiff-armed – and sat back to eat her own sandwich. “So, uh...you said you used to date other pirates. What kind of pirate work did you do, anyway, Walker?”

Walker took a bite before sighing. “Well, here’s the ground rule _I’m_ setting first.”

“Okay, copycat,” Nya teased.

Walker ignored that. “Please. Call me Jay.”

“Jay?” Nya raised an eyebrow. “I know Cole was saying something about knowing your real name but he didn’t say what it was.”

Walker looked at her cautiously. “Is it weird?”

“No, no!” Nya laughed. “I love it! – er, like it! It’s unique, just...not what I would expect the name of a pirate captain to be.”

“And that’s why only the people I trust call me Jay,” Walker explained. “Captain Jay really doesn’t work.”

“Sounds cool to me,” Nya spoke honestly. “Either way, I like it. Jay. _Jay._ It’s short, but it fits, and it’s a lot better than calling you _Captain Walker_ all the time.”

“Look at that, we’re already off to a great start,” Walker, now preferring to be called Jay, chuckled.

“Well, since you shared a bit of information about yourself...” Nya pondered for a moment. “I used to draw with a marker on Kai’s face when he was sleeping.”

“Really?” Jay smirked. “That kind of stuff is why I sleep with one eye open.”

“Is it cuz you have an eyepatch on the other one?” Nya asked.

“Nope,” Jay reached up and pulled the eyepatch off, revealing his other, perfectly intact, eye. “The eyepatch was never for that kind of thing.”

“You wore it just to look cool?” Nya snickered. “Never took you as that kind of guy, Jay.”

Jay rolled his eyes. “No, it wasn’t to look cool, I had to wear it because of a black eye I got from a fist fight with a rival captain.”

“Your eye looks perfectly fine,” Nya pointed out.

“Yeah, its been healed for a while.”

“So you _are_ wearing it to look cool,” Nya appeared as if her grin would grow larger than the width of her face.

“No, I just figured that it looked pretty intimidating to other pirates, so...”

“So in other words, you wear it to look cool,” Nya insisted.

“Sure, whatever,” Jay rolled his eyes again. “Doesn’t matter anymore, since my crew has gone on without me, and I’ve stayed behind here with you.”

“And Wu and the guys,” Nya pointed out. “And Harumi.”

“Well...yeah.”

“It’s strange seeing both of your eyes,” Nya admitted as she looked into his blue irises intently. “I must admit, you look way better this way. Have you always had that notch on your right eyebrow?”

“I got it when I was really little,” Jay explained. “Ran my face into a pantry or something.”

Nya laughed harder than she intended. “Are you serious?”

“I was like _two years old_ ,” Jay defended himself, as Nya expected he would.

“Well, _that’s_ a relief.”

“So,” Jay started. “How long were you and your brother working in that blacksmith shop for?”

“My whole life,” Nya answered instantly, not missing a beat. “I was just a toddler when my parents left, and the villagers who were friends of our parents brought us food and such until Kai and I were of age to take care of ourselves. It was never much, though. Kai helped me through a lot of hard times, and I did the same for him. It’s been us against the world since before I can remember."

Jay nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that. You said you had past boyfriends. I assume you at least went to a school?”

Nya hitched a breath. “Yeah...it wasn’t the greatest experience.”

“Boarding school?” Jay guessed.

“Trade school,” Nya shook her head. “Kai and I were learning to melt steel before either of us could recite the whole alphabet.” Nya chuckled to herself. “It wasn’t until I turned 13 when I finally started getting lessons in mathematics.”

“That’s a complicated way of being educated,” Jay agreed.

“It was the only option. The blacksmith shop never made enough to get us both through even a year of proper schooling. Everything we made went to the food we ate and the clothes on our backs. Whatever was left after that was used to buy more materials for blacksmithing.”

“So, after this is all over,” Jay spoke slowly, “and you and Kai get to go home, is that the kind of life that you’ll be going back to?”

Nya shrugged. “I guess so. Kai and I both agreed we were needed here more, but I suspect that we’ll have to work twice as hard at the shop to make up for lost time.”

“Is that what everyone’s suspecting?” Jay asked. “That after our training is complete and we beat Garmadon, that we’ll all return to our normal lives?”

“Well, I’d certainly not want to be a burden on Wu,” Nya replied. “He’s letting us stay here for now, but I doubt he wants us to stay forever.”

Jay nodded as he looked off into the distance. “I have quite a bit of fortune saved up, y’know. If you do end up going back to the shop, and you need some financial help, I’d be more than glad to help set you guys up with something.”

“Thank you,” Nya smiled. “I’m sure Kai would be grateful as well. For now, let’s enjoy this picnic lunch and do our best to not think about the dozens of laps that Wu’s going to expect from us later.”

* * *

Lloyd was sneaking his way down yet another hallway before he could hear Skylor’s voice ringing in his head again. _Hey, could you keep your thoughts to yourself, please?_

Skylor practically laughed through the mental bond. _As long as we’re connected, there is no way to completely silence it. There’s no mute button._

_Crap, this wood is too creaky, this is taking too long, I’ll never find him at this rate..._

_Lloyd?_

_Uh. Yeah?_

_You’re thinking too much. You don’t need to send every single thought you have._

_Not my fault that you didn’t bother explaining anything about how this whole thing actually works._

_It’s super easy, geez. Just control your thoughts, for the love of-_

_Alright, alright._

Lloyd tried his best to keep his thoughts to himself and continued sneaking down the hall. Stopping at a turning point, he flattened himself against the wall and slowly brought his head around the corner. He instantly brought it back when he noticed the group of guards.

_WHAT? WHAT DID YOU DO?_ Skylor screamed through the bond. _You’re practically exploding my head with all of your sudden excitement!_

_There’s guards. Probably at least five of them._

_......_

_Skylor, is it weird that I think I can hear SILENCE when you’re speaking in my head?_

_Just take them out quickly and keep moving. We need to get Clouse quickly. I overheard one of the soldiers saying that its possible your father could be on his way._

Lloyd’s face dropped and he thought drearily on that. He hadn’t expected his father. What if he had to face him? Would he have to risk a full-on confrontation? Lloyd couldn’t stop thinking about how his father could very well still be searching for him.

_Hey, Lloyd._

_Oh, right. You can-_

_-I can read your thoughts, yeah. I’m getting pretty tired of explaining this. Hey, we’ll get out of here with my dad and Clouse quicker than Garmadon can get here, I promise. We’re so close._

Lloyd nodded his head, but then wanted to slap himself as he realized there was no one to see him doing it. After some quick thinking, Lloyd spun around the corner and sent a series of intricate energy shots into each of the guards’ chests, causing them to fall down to an immovable state. It didn’t kill them, but it would leave them there helpless for long enough to escape with Clouse.

Lloyd made his way past the door and into a room. It was dark, and so Lloyd instinctively summoned green light into his palm. As the area was illuminated with a soft green glow, a head looked up from its position of misery to look at Lloyd with amusement and surprise.

“Lloyd Garmadon. I had thought you left the island by now.” Clouse’s naturally nasally voice brought back some uncomfortable memories. “Or has your father sent you to finish the job that his own soldiers refused to do?”

Lloyd sighed before walking over to Clouse and unchaining him. He could practically feel the relief and utter confusion radiating from the older man as Clouse picked himself up and dusted off his clothes. 

“Now _this_ was an unexpected move,” Clouse slowly began to smile.

“Don’t make me regret it,” Lloyd narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll try my best,” Clouse nodded. “I assume this is because of the princess, is it not? I must say, this is not the wisest way of breaking me out.”

“It’s working well enough so far.”

“I’m guessing you have a _brilliant plan_ for escape?” Clouse spoke sarcastically.

Lloyd thought about it. “Guess we’ll both find out.”


	21. The Answer to Why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of updates on this story, but I've been working on some Clone Wars fics as well lol. Definitely glad to be back to working on this again.

“So, where do we go from here?” Clouse asked Lloyd impatiently. The ninja escorted the sorcerer further towards the stairs. “Wait, why are you taking me to a higher floor? That one will most likely be even more guarded than this one.”

“We have to sneak inside of Skylor’s bedroom. She has a secret exit in there that-“

“Shh!” Clouse hissed as he turned his ear to the ceiling. “I can hear them coming down the stairs. You need to get me out of here a different way!”

“That was the only way I knew of!” Lloyd exclaimed exasperatedly. He looked around frantically, and pressed his hands against the wall. 

“Running out of time, you fool!” Clouse groaned.

Lloyd desperately reached up to quickly pull his hood over his face.

A pair of guards finally came down the steps, and caught the attention of both Lloyd and Clouse. The guards – a Venomari and a Fangpyre – extended their blades as well as their tongues as the hissed at the two angrily. “You’re in big trouble for essssssscaping, Clouse!” the Venomari spat. Then he looked over at the masked ninja. “Emperor Garmadon has a special place for those who dare to intrude on his property!”

Lloyd was about to blast these two when another several Serpentine guards slithered over from the other room, and another pair came down the hall.

“What a fine mess you’ve gotten me into,” Clouse spoke defeatedly.

“I have a knack for getting into trouble,” Lloyd admitted through the black fabric of his mask, before reaching down to his waist to grab a handful of pellets. He was glad more than ever that Wu had taught him how to use them. After throwing the pellets forcefully onto the ground, the room was quickly filled with smoke. 

Lloyd could still hear the Serpentine coughing as he grabbed Clouse by the shirt and pulled him out of a large hole he created through the wall.

“You couldn’t have made a hole in the wall before?” Clouse accused Lloyd, looking himself over. “You’re lucky I didn’t make contact with any Fangpyre venom.”

“Before the guards showed up, I was trying _not_ to make my position known,” Lloyd argued. “Now, come on!”

Lloyd pulled Clouse along as he ran swiftly into the forest, hoping that he bought enough time to cause the Serpentine to lose them. 

_Skylor, I have Clouse._

_Yeah, I know. You made enough of a ruckuss that the whole palace is under lockdown._

_Can you get out?_

_I already did, no thanks to you._ Skylor groaned through the bond. _I’m too concerned about this plan going wrong to be angry with you right now. Just get Clouse back to the boat._

_Uh..._

_What is it?_

_I have no idea where the boat is. You’re the one who led us, right? It took hours to get here on foot._

_Then find another way!_

Lloyd, realizing he wouldn’t get any help from this conversation, decided to ignore those thoughts and keep running. “Hey, Clouse, is there anywhere out here where we can hide until we regroup with the others?”

“There is an old observatory not far from here,” Clouse answered. “If we continue to move quickly, we can find it and get inside before the Serpentine find our trail.”

“Good,” Lloyd nodded. He kept running until he recognized a pair of figures coming into view. “Hey, Pixal, Chen! We’re leaving! Now!”

Pixal looked at Lloyd confusedly for a moment before nodding and pulling Chen along to run beside Lloyd. 

_Skylor, we’re heading to-_

_I **know.** Your thoughts are never silent. I’ll meet you at the observatory._

Lloyd was about to make a comment on that before his eyes widened and he came to realize something. “Wait. Where’s Zane?”

Pixal answered quickly. “He just sent me a message. He’s already on his way and should catch up with us soon.”

“Did he say if he saw Skylor or not?”

“No.”

Lloyd nodded. “Very well, we’ll all meet up soon enough.”

* * *

The doors to the observatory were quite old and rusted, but it only took a bit of pulling from Lloyd and Pixal to get it open. They quickly ushered Chen and Clouse inside and shut the door behind them.

“No one’s seen us, right?” Lloyd asked.

“No,” Pixal shook her head. “We should be safe here for the time being. In the meantime, I would recommend formulating a plan of getting back to the boat undetected.”

“No amount of planning will keep us undetected,” Clouse scoffed. “Garmadon’s forces are spread out further and further by the hour. It won’t be long until they find your boat and destroy it. On top of that, the entire palace knows you’re here, so they’ll be sending scouts.”

Lloyd had to admit that Clouse was right. They had come here with the mindset that they’d get in and out unnoticed, but that clearly wasn’t the outcome. “We should just wait for Skylor and Zane. She’s the one who got us into this; she’ll get us out.”

“You don’t sound so sure,” Chen folded his arms.

Lloyd didn’t answer that. 

Within a few more minutes, the door opened slowly, and in walked Skylor and Zane. “Sorry we’re late,” Skylor groaned. “We got a bit tied up with some Serpentine.” She looked around the room. “Same as you guys, huh?”

“They’ve got this island locked down tight,” Lloyd quickly shifted the attention. “We need to get off the island somehow, and its possible they’ve already destroyed the boat we used to get here.”

Skylor bit her lip. Looking around the room with her hands on her hips, she examined the observatory while the others waited for some sort of reply. “You’re right. The boat is most likely compromised.” She started walking to the back of the room.

Lloyd blinked. “...are you going to follow that up with anything?”

“Nope,” Skylor shrugged, sitting herself down on top of a wooden crate so she could rest her legs. She arched her back and stretched out her arms a bit as the blonde ninja rolled his eyes at her. “We’re very clearly stumped and have no backup plan, so for now, we’ll have to sit and wait.”

“That’s dumb,” Chen whined.

“We most certainly can’t just stay here and waste time,” Zane shook his head, looking to Lloyd and Pixal to support him. “I understand that our chances are low, but we should at least make use of the time that we do have and at least attempt an escape.”

“Have a suggestion in mind?” Lloyd asked.

Zane shook his head. “Without a vessel, it will be extremely difficult to make our way across the sea. To make another boat, it will take a very long time, and I’m afraid we won’t have enough. Our only quick option would be to find and commandeer an enemy craft that we can use.”

Lloyd began to nod slowly. “Good idea, Zane. The only problem is that most of their aircraft are heavily guarded.”

“Hold that thought,” Skylor’s entire mood seemed to quickly change, and the others were left to watch her in confusion as she grabbed the pile of clothes she had grabbed earlier and then walk off into the next room, shutting the door behind her.

“Oh, great,” Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. 

“Ah yes, such a great plan,” Clouse groaned sarcastically. “I’m sure changing your clothes will _greatly_ increase our chances!” He called out just loud enough for Skylor to hear in the next room.

“Shut up, Clouse,” Skylor called back.

“Zane’s plan is our only hope now,” Pixal brought the group’s attention back to the matter at hand. “We knew that we were getting ourselves into trouble from the start, and it was foolish to assume we could get in and out without being forced to engage the enemy in large scale combat.” The female android looked solemn. “We will have to all fight together if we are to steal their aircraft.”

Lloyd thought on this carefully before nodding and placing his hand confidently on Zane’s shoulder. “Three of us have elemental powers. Add in whatever amount of magic Clouse can still manage, and we have four strong attackers. Those weapons,” Lloyd pointed to an array of swords on the wall, “will be useful when we go at them head-on.”

Pixal and Zane walked over to grab a sword each without a moment’s hesitation, while Chen and Clouse appeared unconvinced of this plan.

“You can either grab something to _defend_ yourself with, or you can just let them kill you,” Lloyd shrugged. “Your choice.”

Chen and Clouse begrudgingly complied.

After a minute of cleaning and dusting off the weapons, the group turned at the sound of the door opening. Skylor walked back into the room, dressed in her new outfit, and blew a stray hair out of her face. “Orange and black; whatcha think?”

While Chen and Clouse seemed uninterested, Lloyd and Zane seemed to quickly pick up the subtle changes from her old outfit. “It appears much more covert,” Zane observed. “Not a lot of extra padding or gear, but it seems that the material is much more flexible to aid you in swinging your legs and giving much more room to move in combat.”

“Looks like a ninja gi,” Lloyd replied simply, but a smirk darted across his lips. “Did Wu already rub off on ya?”

Skylor scoffed. “Yeah, right. But...I have to admit, your style is a lot more desirable in the area of close up fighting. I figured, since it’s helped you out so far, it’ll do the same for me.”

Lloyd folded his arms. “Or, you’re starting to realize that being a ninja might be a whole lot more interesting than the life of an assassin after all.”

Skylor opened her mouth, but then shut it defeatedly. “Maybe. Just because I’ve been an assassin doesn’t mean I can’t care about fighting with honor. But then again...” Skylor grinned. “Being a ninja doesn’t necessarily mean you get paid.”

“You’re right. You _don’t_ get paid. I like to think that the greatest ninja is the one who’s willing to do all that he or she can for other people beyond their own self interest.”

“Now you’re starting to sound like Wu,” Skylor pointed out.

“Maybe that’s not a bad thing.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but we really _should_ be going,” Zane reminded them. “If we’re going to take out those guards and hijack an aircraft, we’ll need to do it fast.”

* * *

As the group approached the landing pad, Lloyd had to refrain from laughing. “Well, this clearly isn’t as much of a challenge as I expected,” he whispered. “There’s, like, twelve guards down there, _tops._ ”

“You’re right,” Skylor breathed, not taking her eyes off of their possible escape craft for a second. “We need to be cautious though. And take out the guards quickly. We don’t want to give them enough time to call for backup.”

“What about us?” Chen questioned. “I assume you’ll be leaving us here to _wait_ for you like last time?”

“Actually, no,” Lloyd shook his head. “We’re _all_ going over there. You and Clouse can stick to the back if you’re so worried, but you are _not_ going to run off on us.”

“Or _else,_ ” Skylor suddenly brought a knife from her hip up to Chen’s neck, quickly proving her point.

“Got it, got it.”

Lloyd motioned with his fingers and then began to descend down the hill towards the pad. Skylor followed close behind him, and then Zane, and then Pixal. Chen and Clouse came at the end. 

“Did you hear about the break in?” one of the guards could be heard as he paced back and forth. “Sounds like Clouse was broken out.”

“Yeah,” another guard nodded. “I just wanna know what kind of spies we’re dealing with here. Probably some of Chen’s loyal followers coming back for revenge, I suppose.”

As they spoke, Lloyd walked up behind the first guard, while Skylor came up behind the second. In tandem, the two brought their hands up to the guards’ necks and snapped them unconscious. Lloyd rolled over to duck behind the wing of one of the parked aircraft, while Skylor tiptoed over to deal with another guard.

Within a few more moments, the pad was clear. “Excellent,” Zane smiled as he walked over to one of the gunships. “This seems to be some sort of infantry carrier. It should have plenty of space to hold all of us.”

“Can you get it working quickly?” Lloyd asked.

“I believe so. Hopefully, they won’t send any more guards for a while.”

Clouse cleared his throat and called over to Lloyd. “It seems that we did not all make it unscathed.” He stepped aside to reveal Chen lying on the ground shakily, with his hand pressed to the side of his neck. 

Skylor rushed to his side with wide eyes. “What happened?”

“In the midst of the fighting, a sniper at the top of the ridge must have spotted us. He shot Master Chen with this.” Chen held out his hand, and inside it was a small dart with a green substance trickling off of the tip. “A poison dart. Garmadon doesn’t want to give Master Chen a quick, painless death. He wants him to suffer.”

“You didn’t protect me,” Chen groaned as he looked up at Skylor. “You’re a horrible daughter.”

Skylor couldn’t even bring herself to argue. She merely stood up and walked back to Lloyd and the others with her back turned to her father. “He’s selfish. He just wants me to feel guilty when he dies so I’ll feel even worse.”

“Don’t worry about it, Skylor,” Zane attempted to sooth the girl by patting her on the back. His metal hand felt cold on Skylor, but she thanked him for the gesture. “You have friends who will always support you.”

“Harumi,” Lloyd barely managed to whisper. “She’s going to die if Chen dies. We got this far, and we’re still out of time...”

A faint rustling in the bushes caught the group’s attention. A group of at least a dozen Serpentine warriors rushed from the bushes to attack. With spears flying through the air and swords poised to fight, they all seemed to share one main goal: killing them, not taking prisoners.

“Go, go, go, _go!_ ” Skylor screamed and took Zane and Pixal by the wrist, pulling them along to find cover behind the aircraft. Lloyd took a step to follow them, but stopped as he remembered the dying man behind him. 

Clouse seemed to be trying to help Chen up when suddenly a large spear came plummeting through his chest, right before Lloyd’s eyes. Shock filled the ninja’s body, and he found himself unable to move as Clouse looked back at him with fear. Blood trickled down his shirt, and Lloyd could quickly see the life fleeing from the sorcerer’s eyes.

Clouse opened his mouth, but only a frightened, airy gasp came from his throat before his upper body toppled onto the ground, right beside his master. Chen gasped, still struggling for air, and let out a loud cry.

“Clouse! No! Why?!?” Chen wailed, shutting his eyes and struggling pathetically on the ground as the Serpentine began to surround him. “Skylor! Skylor, _please!_ The words escaped him almost on instinct, filled with so much misery and _pain._

Finally able to react, Lloyd summoned his powers into his hands and blasted away one of the Serpentine before running up and punching the other across the jaw. As a snake came up behind Lloyd, he whipped around to knock the wind out of him and follow up with a strong kick. As the remaining Serpentine seemed to retreat into the forest, Lloyd knew they had already accomplished what they came for.

Lloyd knelt by Chen’s side and ran a hand down his own face. It felt odd to be showing so much remorse and pity for the enemy – this terrible man who had enslaved Lloyd and many others. Cole, Kai, Nya, Walker, _Harumi..._

Yet, here Lloyd was, looking down at Chen with an expression he never would have expected to come from him. His right hand came down to the side of Chen’s neck, and he turned his head to see Clouse. Clearly dead.

“Where...” Chen sputtered. “Where is my daughter?”

Lloyd’s eyes widened. Chen appeared, for once, to be actually concerned for Skylor. The man’s face shown so much pain and seemed so genuine. Lloyd wondered if this was the first time Chen had looked this way. 

“She ran out with the others to find somewhere to hide, I think,” Lloyd breathed heavily, still out-winded from all of the action. He whipped his head around the area, just to confirm his suspicions. “With the Serpentine gone, we should be able to get one of these aircraft working so we can escape.”

Chen began to shake his head defeatedly. “I’m not going to make it... _Lloyd..._ I need to _see_ her!”

Lloyd looked at Chen soberly before nodding and standing to his feet, helping Chen up. “You may be poisoned, but we’re going to make it. You’re gonna see her, I promise.”

Chen made no sound of reply, but tried his best to walk with Lloyd’s support. He looked back at Clouse and gave a saddened groan. “Oh, Clouse...I’m going to die here...on my own island...at the hand of Garmadon’s forces...”

“Stay with me, Chen,” Lloyd gritted his teeth, practically clawing his feet into the ground with every step. As Chen’s weight began to slip, Lloyd tightened his grip. “Don’t do that, Chen, stay with me!”

Chen grunted. “I...I can’t! Put me down...”

Lloyd reluctantly agreed and helped to set Chen down against the wing of one of the craft. The man held his head back and gasped for air. 

“You know...” Chen almost began to slightly smile, looking up at Lloyd with half-lidded eyes. “I never, _ever_...would have expected this...from you...”

Lloyd sighed and nodded his head. “These have been some strange past few weeks.”

“But you...after all that I did...even to the princess...” Chen coughed. “You still are here...fighting to keep me alive...” Chen seemed to be searching Lloyd’s face for some sort of sign. “...why? Because of Harumi?”

Lloyd remained silent for a moment. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Chen began to smile fondly. “Maybe...maybe the world needs more people...like you...” He began to close his eyes and Lloyd grabbed his shoulders.

“No, no, don’t leave just yet, Chen, you need to see Skylor, right?” Lloyd pleaded. 

Chen groaned weakly. “There isn’t enough time. I just wanted to be able to tell her that...that...”

“What?” Lloyd asked, his eyes widening. “I’ll tell her for you, I promise.”

Chen nodded, gesturing for Lloyd to come closer. He whispered a few words in Lloyd’s ear, and when the ninja pulled back, Chen let out a sigh of relief. “She will never forgive me.”

“No, probably not.”

“But she’ll know how I feel,” Chen smiled.

Lloyd smiled back. “Yes.”

“The _spell_ ,” a voice cried after them, and Lloyd turned to see Clouse’s downed body arching up to reach out for help. Lloyd quickly rushed over and helped the man, who gripped his hand in his own. “The spell...” Clouse muttered. “It can _still_ be broken...if you think that it’s worth the risk...”

Lloyd looked shocked. “The spell that bound Harumi to Chen?”

Clouse nodded. “I am about to _die_ here...” Clouse began to seethe, biting his tongue. “...but I can use what strength I have left...to bring her here to you.”

Lloyd looked confused.

“She _must_ be here for it to work,” Clouse reminded him. “I can summon her here, and then...the spell will break. But perhaps...perhaps it will still require some of your energy.”

“Of course,” Lloyd nodded. “But, why are you doing this?”

Clouse thought for a moment before grinning. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Lloyd couldn’t manage to respond back. He merely held Clouse steady as the sorcerer engulfed his hands in a magic fire, and a portal opened up beside them. 

Within the next few moments, Lloyd was left kneeling with a princess in his arms and two men dead on the ground.


	22. A Princess In Stiix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ///////// Llorumi fluff is back yay \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  
> You're welcome ;)
> 
> Doesn't mean this isn't gonna get DARKER tho muahaha

“Sensei!” Kai and Cole yelled in unison as they both rushed through the monastery to find Wu’s room. As they swung the door open, they practically toppled over each other to enter inside, only to be met with a stern glare from Wu.

“What is it?”

“Harumi,” Kai breathed. “She’s gone.”

A concerned expression quickly replaced the angry one on Wu’s face. “What do you mean? Where did she go?”

“We don’t know,” Cole answered honestly. “We were just playing cards with her when this weird...purple-y, flashy... _thing_ came out of nowhere behind her and she got sucked in!”

Wu raised an eyebrow and stood to his feet, quickly putting his incense away. “I am afraid I know all too well what you’re talking about.”

“You do?” Kai almost laughed. “I mean, Cole did a pretty crappy job of describing it.”

“Hey!”

“This sounds like magic,” Wu cut the two off as he grabbed his staff and walked past them out of the room. “I’m afraid that Lloyd and Skylor’s mission may have gone awry. Only Clouse could be so talented in sorcery to take Harumi in such a way.”

“But wouldn’t Clouse be captured by Garmadon?” Cole asked.

“It could be that he escaped,” Wu shrugged. “Or, perhaps, it isn’t Clouse. Either way, we were entrusted to safeguard Harumi’s safety, and now she has been taken from us.” Wu let out a long sigh. “My nephew will not be pleased. This will most certainly complicate things.”

“I just wish we had some way to contact him,” Kai admitted. “I get that you don’t have much in the way of technology here, Sensei, but at least if he had a phone or something, we could let him know.”

Wu looked thoughtfully out the window. “Unfortunately, it seems that we’ll be forced to wait until he returns until we can do much of anything. We’ll continue your training, but the search for Harumi will now become our highest concern.”

“Yes, Sensei."

* * *

From the moment Harumi felt herself pulled through the portal and thrown into Lloyd’s arms in a completely different environment, she wanted to scream. Lloyd had barely given her as much of a, “are you okay?” before taking her hand and tugging her along into the trees. The sand and jungle began to feel familiar, and Harumi quickly realized where she was.

The only question was how.

They kept running, but from what, Harumi didn’t know. She wondered if had to do with the dead bodies lying near them when she emerged from the portal. Harumi could have almost sworn that one of the bodies looked like Chen, but Lloyd had hardly given her enough time to look.

As they came to a stop behind a large rock, Lloyd removed his hood and almost immediately slid his back against the rock, coming to a seating position on the sand where he could bring his legs in to his chest. Harumi came to sit beside him, and watched the boy’s heavy breathing for a moment before speaking. “You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

Lloyd looked at Harumi with weary, tired eyes, and managed a small smile. There was a bit of dirt stained across his left cheek, and his neck was showing off something that Harumi _hoped_ wasn’t a bruise. Not to mention, his hair was a thick blonde mess. 

Harumi kinda thought it was cute.

Kinda.

“There’s a lot to explain, and not enough time,” Lloyd spoke quietly. “Not here. We need to meet up with the others and get back to that landing pad to hijack an aircraft.”

“Sooooo we’re _not_ gonna explain how I got here now?” Harumi raised an eyebrow.

“Magic portal stuff, I guess,” Lloyd shrugged.

“Well, that’s reassuring.”

“Lloyd!” Zane’s echo-y voice called out as the android came from the trees. Pixal and Skylor followed close behind. “I am glad you are alright.”

“Sorry about that, Lloyd, we didn’t mean to leave you behind,” Skylor admitted honestly, rubbing the back of her neck until she turned her head and had to do a double take. Her eyes widened and she looked at Lloyd and then Harumi and then back at Lloyd. “Am I going crazy or is that Harumi with you?”

Lloyd opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by another question.

“And where’s Clouse?” Skylor put her hands on her hips and looked around. “And...Dad...” her voice trailed off, and she looked down at Lloyd, almost with tears, but brought her arm up to wipe them away. She clearly knew the answer.

Lloyd hung his head. “I’m sorry, Skylor. They didn’t make it.”

Everyone seemed to be looking at Skylor all at once for some kind of reaction. The redhead merely turned away and took a deep breath. “Well, I knew my father would eventually meet a day where he could no longer cheat death. We, uh...we should get going.”

Pixal reached her arm out as if to offer an embrace, but Zane held it back, shaking his head.

“Agreed,” Lloyd nodded a bit too frantically, standing to his feet and taking Harumi’s hand in his. “As long as no more guards have shown up yet, we should have enough uncontested time to commandeer a fighter.”

As the group came up to the landing pad, they got to work quickly. Zane and Pixal began working on hijacking the controls of the transport shuttle and the other three began taking their seats in the back. 

Harumi brought the buckle over her torso to clip into place, and let out a sigh. “This is just getting stranger and stranger. Lloyd, can you please explain now?”

“Once we’re in the air,” Lloyd spoke up from where he was sealing the weapon containers. “I promise.”

“Preparing to take flight,” Zane announced, strapping in. “Pixal, my dear, will you be my copilot?”

“Of course,” Pixal nodded, and then looked down at the controls hesitantly. “I don’t recall any time when I have controlled an aerial craft. Are you certain I am qualified?”

Skylor cleared her throat behind them. “Is that going to be a _problem_?”

Zane looked at Skylor quizzically, and the grinned over at Pixal. “Of course not. Just do as I do, Pixal, and we’ll be fine.”

“How do _you_ know how to fly?” Pixal asked.

“I’m learning as we go,” Zane admitted.

Skylor tried her best to be optimistic about this trip and took her seat in the back with Lloyd and Harumi. 

“Engaging thrusters,” Zane announced as he did so, flicking a few switches and dials. The shuttle began to whir to life, and the soft vibrations confirmed that the engines were running. As the craft began to slowly ascend into the air, the crew held their breath. “Disengaging landing gear.”

“Assuming co-controls,” Pixal added.

After a few more moments, the shuttle was fully in the air and going. As they flew away from the island, Lloyd stared out the window at the place he hoped he’d never have to return to. Being here the first time had been bad enough.

Harumi clicked her tongue and looked from Lloyd to Skylor and spoke. “So, I know this is probably going to take some time to explain, but could someone please tell me what’s going on?”

Skylor looked at Lloyd expectedly. 

Lloyd slowly nodded. “Alright. We haven’t been on the island long, but after we broke out Chen and eventually rescued Clouse, we got caught up at that landing pad.”

Skylor’s eyes widened and she whispered, “Their bodies were right there the whole time...Lloyd, what happened?”

Lloyd bit his lip and fought the urge to hide his face away from having to see Skylor’s defeated, miserable expression. “As you guys ran off into the jungle, I realized that Chen was left behind on the ground. I hurried to his side and tried to help him walk, but he said there was no time.”

Skylor was clearly trying not to look too concerned but the pain was evident in her eyes. “And?”

“And then I noticed Clouse, too. He had tried to stay by your father’s side, but the Serpentine threw a spear right through his chest,” Lloyd swallowed hard, trying not to get too worked up over it. “In his last act before he died, Clouse used his magic to bring you here, Harumi,” Lloyd looked over at the girl, “and he broke the spell that bound your soul with Chen’s. In just a matter of moments, they were both dead...”

Harumi tenderly placed her hand on Lloyd’s to sooth him, and Skylor ran her hand down her forehead. With a shake of her head, Skylor sighed and laid back against the wall of the shuttle. “I don’t believe it. Clouse chose to _save_ Harumi. But why?”

_“Because it’s the right thing to do.”_

Clouse’s final words echoed in Lloyd’s head and he frowned. “I guess he finally wanted to do something right before he died.”

Skylor nodded solemnly. “And my dad just died of the poison then, huh?”

“Yeah...” Lloyd looked over Skylor’s saddened form and placed a hand on her shoulder. “He did tell me something, though. Something he wanted to tell you in person.”

Skylor raised an eyebrow.

“He told me that he’s sorry.”

Skylor let out an ugly cry and brought her hand up to her mouth. “That evil man,” she managed between sobs. “ _Now_ he really means it...took him long enough.”

Lloyd smiled apologetically. “He also told me that he’s proud of you, and of the woman you’ve become. He specifically wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t because of your skills as an assassin, but simply of who you are.”

Skylor smiled sadly. “Anything else?”

Lloyd thought for a moment before grinning. “Oh yeah, he also said that he’s sorry your inheritance was stolen.”

Skylor rolled her eyes and brushed the tears away from her eyes. “I don’t believe it. For once, even on his deathbed, my father actually told me I meant more to him than a hired hand.”

“Well,” Lloyd started slowly, looking back at Harumi. “Clouse’s sacrifice made it possible for us to complete our mission. The spell is broken, and we can return to the monastery.”

“Scratch that,” Zane called from the cockpit. “Unfortunately, our fuel levels are low, and we’ll have to find somewhere to land and refuel before we get too far. I assume that its designed this way in the case of tampering.”

“I knew we missed something,” Pixal sighed.

“That’s fine, Zane,” Lloyd called back. “Can you find a fuel station?”

“Yes. I have located a city close to here.”

* * *

The city seemed a lot more like a wooden junkyard. From the moment the group stepped out of the transport and onto the docks, the place they had come to seemed stranger and stranger.

“Welcome to the City of Stiix,” Harumi read from the overarching sign above them. “Stiix? The backwater fishing town?”

“You’re the Princess of Ninjago,” Skylor shrugged. “You probably know more about this dump than we do.”

“Honestly, I don’t know much,” Harumi admitted, looking around. “The entire city is built on the water, and the population is pretty small, as far as I know. However, they do have rich oil refineries that cycle through the town.”

“Plenty of fuel to power the shuttle,” Lloyd nodded.

“Unless we should find another means of transportation,” Zane spoke up as he came with Pixal to stand with the others. “This troop transport is a more than capable craft, but it may not be a wise idea to venture any further in a shuttle that will so obviously draw attention to ourselves.”

“Besides, it is possible that the shuttle could have a tracking device,” Pixal added.

Skylor’s eyes slightly widened. “Are you telling me there could be Serpentine on their way here right now?”

“We did a scan of the entire craft; no sort of tracking has been activated thus far,” Zane shook his head. “If there is any sort of device attached, however, it is hidden away very well. Even if we were to find it, I’m not sure removing it would be an easy task.”

“It would be a _timely_ task,” Pixal sighed. “Time we don’t really have. We _need_ to get any possible pursuers off of our trail so we can be sure that returning to the Monastery will be safe.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Lloyd asked. “We didn’t exactly come with any money. Now that I think about it, how exactly are we going to pay for fuel?”

“I’ve got some cash,” Skylor replied bluntly, rummaging through her pockets. “Quite a bit of cash, actually.”

“I’m not even gonna ask where that came from,” Lloyd shook his head.

“Good.”

“Then I _highly_ suggest heading into the city and obtaining some more essentials,” Zane agreed. “We should start with food; by my memory, none of you three humans have eaten _anything_ in a considerably long time.”

“Well, I just ate some cereal a few hours ago before getting sucked into a portal, but yeah,” Harumi laughed. “I’m famished.”

“Then, let’s go,” Lloyd grinned and began to walk into the city, leading the others along. As they passed dozens of wood buildings and fishing markets, the amount of eyes on the group became more and more noticeable. 

“I’m starting to think it was a bad idea bringing the princess through here,” Skylor whispered to Lloyd, nudging his arm subtly. “She may not be all dolled up in a dress and makeup, but she’s not necessarily under disguise either.”

Harumi let out a small, almost nervous, “ _Mhm_ ,” as she came up along Lloyd’s other side, at least to be closer to him and farther from the fishermen. “Pretty sure they recognize me.”

“You sure?” Lloyd looked at the girl worriedly, who nodded in response. Lloyd took a deep breath, looked ahead, and kept walking. His arm slid down to grab Harumi’s hand – a small touch that Harumi didn’t take lightly. He had done this before, but now it was more of a silent way of ensuring her that he’d protect her. Harumi nearly beamed at the thought. And so, she walked along with him with her hand in his gladly.

“Let’s not forget about our robot friends behind us,” Skylor nearly snorted. “If you think the people will act weird around a princess, just imagine what they’re thinking about Zane and Pix.”

“People own assistant droids all the time,” Lloyd offered, but Skylor shot it down.

“Yeah. _Wealthy_ people who have too much money to know what to do with it.”

“That’s why we’ve got Harumi,” Lloyd shrugged, holding up his and Harumi’s linked hands for good measure. “Maybe this makes more sense than you think.”

“Not everything just perfectly works out without any effort,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “You can’t just use one problem to cancel out your other problem.”

“Just keep walking,” Lloyd voiced between his gritted teeth, and Skylor chuckled quietly.

“See? That same old _stubborn, angry_ Lloyd stills comes out every once in a while.”

Lloyd looked over at Skylor’s amused smirk, and then over at Harumi’s even _more_ amused smirk, and then he sighed. “Whatever.”

“We are approaching the facility,” Zane stated.

“Pardon?” Harumi asked.

“Oh. The diner where we can get you some food,” Zane laughed embarrassingly. “Sorry, I forget to be more specific sometimes.” He pointed to the door to their right. “Right through here.”

As they passed through the door and into the diner, they were immediately met by the strong smell of dying, decayed wood with which almost everything here in Stiix seemed to be crafted out of. 

“Great,” Harumi commented under her breath, scrunching her nose in a way that Lloyd found cute (but he didn’t say anything about it). “More wet, smelly wood. Do you think the food smells much better?”

Lloyd could only smile at Harumi’s comments and roll his eyes. “Table for five,” he called to the lady at the counter, who looked up from her lit cigar to nod in his direction.

“Pretty sure that’s illegal,” Harumi kept going, quietly of course. “And a fire hazard.”

“Five, huh?” The woman responded gruffly, in a voice deeper than Lloyd expected. “Oh, uh yeah, it’s somewhere in the corner. Uh, around the left – wait, no, the _right_. Yeah, yeah. There should be a table on the right side.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I think.”

Skylor muttered something under her breath that Lloyd couldn’t make out, but he was sure it wasn’t much better than the comments Harumi had already made.

As they walked off to find the table, Zane and Pixal both stopped to bow respectfully and very much humorously to the woman. “Thank you, madam,” Zane spoke genuinely, and Pixal seemed the same.

“Yes, you have our thanks,” Pixal agreed. “We are grateful to be in your establishment.”

The woman raised an eyebrow, and then laughed roughly and turned back to her cigar. “Crazy droids...”

As Zane and Pixal stood confused, Skylor grabbed them both by the shirts and tugged them along. “Come on, you two. You do _not_ have to be so... _respectful_ when you enter just any lousy diner.”

“Oh,” Zane and Pixal both spoke in unison. 

As the group took their seats, Lloyd made sure Harumi sat closest to the wall with him and Skylor following in beside her, just to make sure less people noticed the covert princess. Zane and Pixal sat across from them, both still much too excited about such a simple place.

“Does it smell any better back here, Harumi?” Skylor joked.

“Not really,” Harumi laughed. “I would _definitely_ appreciate a warm cup of coffee to drown it out, though. Do you think they have espresso?”

“They’d _better_ ,” Skylor nearly growled. “The state of this place is seeming worse and worse by the second.”

“I will go and order-“ Zane began to stand up, but Skylor pushed him back.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Skylor shook her head. “I’ll go and order some food. I have the money. Besides, you’d probably offer to pay that lady _extra_ just because you think she seems nice.”

“Why would I do that?” Zane asked innocently.

“Never...nevermind.”


	23. Bounty Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (In which Lloyd is terrible at hiding his crush and the group runs into a certain bounty hunter)

“Well,” Harumi started after taking a long, careful sip from her cup. “If there’s one thing this diner does right, it’s making coffee.” She placed the cup back on the table and stared down at the streaks of white swirling around in the dark liquid. “And, I was right. The smell of _this_ actually takes my mind off of the smelly wood for a moment.”

Lloyd smiled, watching the princess go on about her coffee while Skylor watched his face with an evil smirk planted on her lips. She had swapped seats with Zane when she returned with the food, and was now seated across from Lloyd and Harumi. Skylor knew that the two of them had become rather close in these past few weeks, but she hadn’t expected Lloyd to appear so _clearly_ smitten all the time. 

_Quite a transformation from the Dark Lord’s son,_ Skylor thought to herself.

“So,” Skylor cleared her throat, watching intently as Lloyd finally looked away from Harumi to the matter at hand. “We need a new form of transport. My suggestion is that we buy another boat. A _new_ boat that can get us back to the Monastery as soon as possible.”

“I believe I noticed a boat for sale not far from here,” Pixal said cheerily as she looked around the room at all of the strange things she had never seen before. 

“Good,” Lloyd nodded. “We’ll finish eating here, and then we’ll go buy the boat.”

“I’ve suddenly run out of espresso,” Harumi stated glumly, hanging her cup upside down. “I forgot how much I preferred this over tea. No offense to Wu, of course.”

“I can go get you some more,” Lloyd offered, already getting out of his seat. An invisible hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the booth. Skylor smirked cockily at him, holding up her glowing hand.

“Gravity powers?” Lloyd feigned scoffing. “Really?”

“You’re more than strong enough to resist it,” Skylor rolled her eyes, still holding him down. “If you’d actually _try_ to use your powers for more than blasting holes in things.”

“Well, _I_ for one would rather not use my powers in public right now,” Lloyd kept his voice low and looked around. “Pretty sure our objective was to keep a low profile and not draw attention to ourselves. If anyone finds out what we are – _who_ we are-“

“Then we’ll get rid of them,” Skylor shrugged, nodding down to a knife she had clipped to her waist. Lloyd facepalmed.

“You’d really go ahead and _kill_ someone for accidentally finding out who we are?” Lloyd asked in disbelief.

“Meh,” Skylor shrugged again, swinging one of her arms over the back of the seats. She grabbed her glass and brought it up to her lips to drink. As she placed it back down, Skylor leaned in a bit closer. “Look, I know we’re _both_ sorta trying this good guy thing, but...it’s gonna take time. For me, maybe a _lot_ of time.” She watched Lloyd’s unchanging expression disappointedly. “For now, maybe you’ll just have to keep a close eye on me.” She gave Lloyd a smug grin and took another swig of her drink. 

Lloyd hardly made a movement, and Zane and Pixal both shook their heads at Skylor’s obvious “dark side” starting to show a little.

“As long as you’re working with _me,_ ” Lloyd emphasized, sticking a finger to his chest, “ _you_ ,” he jabbed at Skylor’s chest now, “won’t be killing anyone.”

“It’s _still_ weird to hear that from you,” Skylor laughed, folding her arms and pushing Lloyd’s hand away. “Alright, Lloyd. I’ll do my best to refrain from killing a _single_ human being. I can still _fight_ though, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Lloyd agreed.

“And if I happen to get a bit...erm, _extreme_ with my powers – but not killing anyone with them – you won’t hold it against me, right?” Skylor asked.

Lloyd examined Skylor for a moment, as if he were searching for some sort of catch. “...no. I won’t.”

“Torture?” Skylor asked, putting on her most innocent-looking smile.

Lloyd looked bewildered. “Are you crazy-“

“Kidding!” Skylor laughed. “Just messin’ with ya, Blondie.”

Lloyd gave the girl a ridiculous look before turning to Harumi who only seemed about as confused as he was. 

“Skylor...” Harumi started, seemingly searching for the right words. “When you were an assassin, were you ever given any assignments to go after the Royal Family or any of the higher officials?” The question came off very vague, but some meaning was clearly behind it.

Skylor blinked. “If you’re asking if I went after your parents, then no,” she shook her head and took another swig. “When I came at you and Lloyd in the city – when Walker _captured_ all of us – that was the first time I had ever been sent after anyone with a status as huge as yours. I mainly only went after thugs and lowlifes, and rival crime bosses that my father wanted to wipe out. Why do you ask?”

Harumi seemed uncomfortable. “I apologize if I seem a bit cautious. It’s just that, after all that happened on the island...when you served Chen and were...” Harumi gulped, “... _involved_ in my torture...it was a horrible experience, and I know you _say_ that you want to turn things around, but it’s _hard_ for me to...y’know...” Harumi played with her long white hair nervously, gaining a chuckle from the older woman

“Hard to forgive and forget?” Skylor offered, and Harumi nodded silently. “Well, Princess, look at me this way.” Skylor unfolded her arms and pointed to Lloyd. “Look at him. Okay? Lloyd was once a terrible person, same as me.” Harumi looked as if she were about to angrily defend Lloyd, but she stopped herself. Skylor continued, “He may not have _tortured_ you, but he’s committed many crimes against the Royal House, I bet.” She looked over at Lloyd, who simply nodded. “And now, he says he wants to change, and he _has_ changed, and so you’ve clearly forgiven him. Right?”

“Right,” Harumi answered.

“So, I’m not asking for your forgiveness,” Skylor assured her. “I definitely don’t blame you if you’re nervous around me for forever. I would _like_ for us to be more comfortable around each other though, if at all possible. I mean, despite Lloyd’s stubborn, thick-skulled self causing some bickering between us, I get along with him... _decently_ enough.”

Lloyd snorted.

“Fact of the matter is: I’m stuck with you guys,” Skylor admitted, and her face softened. “Lloyd, Zane, Pixal, maybe even Wu and those blacksmith kids and Cole...” She placed a hand on Harumi’s own, watching the princess slowly grow more accustomed to the touch. “And you, Harumi. For better or for worse, us five are stuck here together in Stiix, and I’d much rather be friends than be...whatever we are.”

Harumi gave a small, shy smile. “Agreed. I’d be glad to call you my friend.”

“Astounding,” Zane whispered to Pixal. “Human relations are so much more complex than I imagined. Are you taking note of this?”

“Already dedicated it to my primary log, dear.”

“Well,” Lloyd grinned, looking at the two women contentedly. “I’m glad you could settle your differences. It’ll make the trip a lot more bearable. I...” Lloyd trailed off and his eyes widened towards the ceiling.

“What?” Harumi asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re being watched,” Lloyd breathed, staring at the small camera placed in the corner of the two walls. 

“Public diners have security cameras, yeah,” Skylor shrugged, but it was clear that she truly believed Lloyd’s suspicions. “Are you sure it’s someone else’s?”

“Yeah,” Lloyd nodded. The camera lens began to flicker, and suddenly it was replaced with a black screen with bold red letters reading, **“OUTSIDE.”**

* * *

“Hello there,” a gruff, deep voice called out as Lloyd led the others outside the diner through the back door. They followed the voice to a man seated on a supply crate, leaning against a wall. He had his feet folded across each other and his arms were folded behind his head. Though his dark maroon rice hat concealed his face, the orange and sand green combat armor made it clear what his intentions were.

Lloyd put a hand to Harumi to hold her back, and used the other hand to summon his powers. “You know who we are. Who are _you_?” Skylor came alongside Lloyd to do the same, and Zane and Pixal stood confused behind them.

The man chuckled, finally sitting up to tip his hat up into a more straightened position on his head. His rough stubble beard was only barely noticeable among the odd-looking eyepatch he wore over one eye. The man grinned, seemingly unafraid of Lloyd or Skylor’s powers. “The name’s Ronin. You’re Lloyd Garmadon. We need to talk.”

Lloyd didn’t bother humoring Ronin with a single step. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

Ronin chuckled again, taking the toothpick out from between his teeth and dropping it on the ground. “I like that, I like that! Straight to the point. Anywho, I’ve been looking for ya. Word was going around that not only had the _Princess of Ninjago_ been kidnapped, but Garmadon’s son, too.” Ronin looked over the other three and raised his eyebrows. “I see you took a nice pair of droids into your little friend group too, huh?”

“Get to the point,” Lloyd narrowed his eyes.

“Well,” Ronin took a long, exaggerated breath. “Originally, I was just gonna shoot down that crazy Captain Walker’s ship and get it over with.” He noticed Lloyd’s expression. “Oh yeah, I’ve been watching you for a while. Unfortunately, with such a... _delicate_ passenger onboard,” Ronin gestured to Harumi, “I decided to wait so I could take care of things in a cleaner fashion.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Didn’t expect that you’d be traveling all over the place, though.”

“You’re a bounty hunter, then,” Harumi accused, folding her arms. “Just a hired hand to get a fortune off of me.”

“Well...” Ronin thought for a moment but then laughed. “Well, yes! I’m here to get money from taking you _all_ in! The droids, too.” He squinted as he looked at Zane. “Hey, is the male one made of real titanium?”

“I don’t really think you’re in _any_ position to take us in,” Skylor hissed, taking out one of her knives. “It’s five against one.”

“I like those odds.” In an instant, Ronin slammed a small pair of capsules down onto the ground, and the area was filled with smoke. His figure suddenly disappeared, and Lloyd brought his arm up to his mouth.

“It’s smoke pellets!”

Ronin’s footsteps were quiet but still noticeable. Skylor whipped around and swung in the direction she heard him coming, but her blade only met air all the way through. “Ugh, he’s toying with us.”

“That I am, sweetheart,” Ronin chuckled from a direction no one could tell. His voice almost came as a haunting echo. “Please don’t make this difficult.”

Harumi screamed.

“No!” Lloyd whipped around to grab hold of Harumi’s wrist, but she had vanished as well. He heard struggling feet in the distance, and chased after it.

He could have sworn he heard Harumi’s muffled voice, but he could have also mistaken it for his own worried breathing. Lloyd kept running, taking off in whatever direction he heard her, before stopping when he lost their trace. 

Panic fell across him, but it was gone as soon as it came. It was soon replaced with a sudden calmness, as Lloyd tried his best to remember the brief but important lessons Wu had given him in meditation. “My mind is at peace,” Lloyd whispered. “I will find the way.”

Lloyd thought he could hear Ronin laughing at him from somewhere. He ignored it.

“My mind is at peace. I will find the way. My mind is at peace. I will find...” Lloyd stopped himself and turned around in the direction he heard a new set of footsteps. He ran forwards, flipped around, and in a swift motion, came down on his target with glowing green fists. Ronin crashed to the ground with an awful sound, and Harumi squealed as her body was tossed to the floor. 

Lloyd looked around furiously, casting the green light wherever he could to see through the smoke. He spotted a leg – _Harumi!_ He reached out to grab the girl’s ankle, but was only a moment too late as she disappeared into the shadows with another scream.

“Good try, Lloyd,” Ronin called out between breaths, clearly running off with Harumi. “But I was expecting something a bit rougher from you. Where’s that signature Garmadon _aggressiveness_ , huh?”

Lloyd’s only response was a sharp yell as he found Ronin’s location and jumped at him, sending a glowing green fist into the man’s chest. Ronin was thrown down, but this time Lloyd managed to swing in to catch Harumi’s fall. He didn’t have enough time to see if she was alright before he heard Ronin come up behind him, and Lloyd turned to swing-

“Lloyd!” Skylor’s panicked voice came out as she recognized his form through the smoke, her face only a few inches from where Lloyd’s fist stopped halfway. “You got Harumi?”

“Yes,” Lloyd breathed. “Skylor, Ronin is-“

Lloyd was cut off as he felt something wrap around his ankles and pull him down, causing him to fall to the ground and nearly pull Harumi with him. He tugged with his feet, but they were tied together by some sort of electric rope.

“Electric binders,” Ronin announced as he came out of the smoke to stand above Lloyd. Skylor came at him, but he shot her down with some sort of blaster that stunned her to the ground. “And that is a taser gun.” He shrugged. “Kinda basic, but it works.”

“Let me _go_ , Ronin!” Lloyd spat through gritted teeth.

“No,” Ronin responded simply, taking hold of Harumi from behind, crossing both of her arms behind her back and forcing her to her knees. “Stop struggling, Princess, it will mean less injury for the both of us.”

“You’re a petty criminal and a kidnapper,” Harumi yelled. “Even if you do make a fortune off of us, what good will that do you? Surely, Garmadon won’t just give you the money and let you run off to spend it how you please.”

“Oh, I’m not giving y’all to Garmadon,” Ronin shook his head with a grin, gripping Harumi’s arms tighter. “A bounty hunter like me knows much better people to go to if I want to get a good pay off of your pretty white-haired head.” Harumi tried to squeeze away, but Ronin persisted. “Dealing with the Emperor isn’t good business for anyone. There are hundreds of buyers who will gladly pay a fortune for you, and even more who I can be certain _won’t_ send an army of Serpentine to backstab me.”

A whirring engine could be heard getting closer, and Ronin let out a sharp whistle. “Well, our ride’s here, kiddos. Time to take my bounty.” 

“Ronin, you-!” Lloyd never finished, since Ronin quickly shut him up by knocking him unconscious. 

* * *

When Harumi came to, she found herself bent over staring at the floor with a pounding headache. Her wrists were starting to hurt from being bound for so long, and it almost hurt her just to pick herself up. Harumi wanted to squirm away as soon as she saw Ronin’s buyer: a dark blue Hypnobrai.

“Are you _sure_ this is the princess, Ronin?” the snake hissed out, his polarizing red eyes seeming to catch even Ronin himself off guard. The end of his tail began to slowly rise in the air suspiciously, and Ronin laughed it off nervously.

“Relax, Skales, it _is_ her. Princess Harumi herself. I’ve been tracking her for weeks.” Ronin folded his arms. “I swear on the bounty hunter code.”

Skales scoffed. “Well, _that’s_ not worth much.” He looked over Harumi closer, causing her to inch back slowly, and then he smiled. “Alright, Ronin, I believe you. However...I have a bad feeling that you want a _lot_ of money for her.”

“Yes he does,” Harumi nodded quickly. “Lots. Probably too much.”

“Zip it, Princess, I’m the one making the business arrangements here,” Ronin reminded her.

“Well?” Skales asked impatiently. “How much do you want?”

“Ten million.”

“ ** _WHAT?!?!?”_**

“She’s the one and only princess of Ninjago,” Ronin rolled his eyes exasperatedly. “One of a kind. Surely, she’s worth at least that.”

Skales looked unconvinced. “I mean, sure, but surely you don’t expect me to pay this all at _once..._ ”

“Actually, I do,” Ronin tapped his foot with almost equal impatience. “No promises, no loans. You pay it all up front or you don’t get her at all.”

Skales hissed but finally accepted defeat. “Fine. You can keep your princess. Sell her to whatever idiot is actually willing to spend _10 million_ up front for her. What about...” he looked at the others with interest. “What about these other prisoners? You say that the blonde one is Garmadon’s _son_?”

Ronin nodded. “My price on his head is...” Ronin scratched his chin before thinking on a suitable price. “5 million.”

“That’s still a lot,” Skales grumbled.

“Yeah, well just like the princess, he’s worth a lot.” Ronin leaned in closer. “This is just between you and me, but...he’s an elemental.”

Skales almost seemed offended. “We Serpentine want _no_ elementals. Do you forget that we were at _war_ with them not so many decades ago?”

“Fine, fine,” Ronin held up his hands in defense. “Then you won’t want the redhead either.”

“Chen’s daughter? She’s an elemental too?”

“Yeah, and she’s a tricky one,” Ronin nodded. “Probably one of the best assassins I’ve come across.”

“Once again, too much trouble,” Skales complained. “I don’t want elementals, I don’t want your droids, and I _do_ want your princess but I definitely won’t accept that price. You always make your bounties so complicated, Ronin.”

“Lloyd and Skylor would have gone for reasonable price,” Ronin argued. “It’s your own sensitive and picky self that makes this complicated. And now, you’ve wasted a trip.”

Harumi helplessly looked up at Skylor pleadingly, but he scoffed in her general direction. “What? You think I’d treat you much better, Your Highness? I’d just as soon have you working in the catacombs to dig out some extra rooms. My acid bath has to go _somewhere_ ,” Skales laughed, causing Harumi to instantly take back any interest she had.

“Well then,” Ronin sighed. “See ya around, Skales. You’d best be going until any of the Stiix folks see ya.”

Skales left quickly, leaving Harumi to wait glumly for Lloyd and Skylor to wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I've missed this fic. Plenty more chapters to come, so stay tuned!


	24. Phantom Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter, yay! 4,000 words is more than most chapters have been, so enjoy lol  
> We're ALMOST coming upon the final and most important section of this story, so that's exciting.
> 
> **Please do leave a review if you enjoyed! I've appreciated all of you guys who have reviewed so far**

  
Nya was having the time of her life, and at the same time, was feeling more uneasy than ever before. Her newly sprung relationship with Walker- er, _Jay_ \- had been great. Nya really had no complaints. It was her constant worrying about the not so distant future that racked her mind, not to mention the long absence of Lloyd and Harumi.

“Pretty nice place, huh?” Jay asked Nya as he looked up at her from his rather large burger. “I used to come here all the time when I was a kid.”

“It’s great, Jay,” Nya gave him a small smile. She still hadn’t touched her own food yet. “I must say, though: when you told me we were gonna sneak away for the night to eat somewhere special, I didn’t expect...” She looked around cautiously. “An amusement park.”

“Mega Monster is still the best park after twenty years,” Jay stated matter-of-factly, taking another bite from his burger. “It’s definitely not a fancy restaurant, but that would attract too much attention.”

“Too much attention on _us_?” Nya giggled. “I mean, I doubt too many people would recognize our faces in a crowd, but...this was your idea, after all. I’m glad we could go somewhere different for once.” Nya winced suddenly. “Even if we’re kinda going behind Wu’s back to do it.”

“He’ll be upset, yeah,” Jay nodded. “But he’s just our Sensei. Much less for me than for you. He can’t have the biggest word in whatever we choose to do with our lives, right?”

“I guess so,” Nya answered, still seeming unsure. “Maybe we should just talk about something else. Like...” she bit her lip reluctantly.

“Like what?”

“Ugh, sorry,” Nya frowned at herself. “It’s not your fault, Jay, I just...I can’t stop thinking about what’s going to happen eventually. You heard Wu. He had a vision that we’d all stand together against Garmadon. Right now, Lloyd’s missing, and so is Harumi, who was _supposed_ to be our number one priority.” Nya rubbed her forehead nervously. “I’m afraid we’re just screwing this up more and more.”

“Screwing it up?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I’m...uh...Kai is...just, let me put this in a way that might make sense,” Nya groaned. “We’re all doing our best, right? Me, Kai, Cole, you...we’ve come so far in our training, and yet...do you really think it’ll be enough? Do you think that Garmadon will find us too soon? Or will it not even happen until years from now?”

Jay took another bite thoughtfully. “If Wu’s grand plan really does go to hell, we’ll need a backup.”

“Like what?”

“We find somewhere else to run away to,” Jay shrugged as if it was nothing. “I’ve travelled so much of Ninjago, seen so many small, almost unnoticeable islands. We could go anywhere where Garmadon won’t be able to reach for a long time. Maybe even Astor City could be a good place to start fresh. Change our names, take up new professions...blend in until the day we might have to run again.”

Nya considered this silently for a long time. Jay watched her. “When you’re talking about _us_...” Nya started slowly. “You’re just talking about you and me.” She looked at Jay intently, almost accusingly. “Aren’t you?”

“And you blame me for having your best interests in mind?” Jay spoke up defensively.

“We’re just _dating_ , Jay!” Nya almost yelled, holding back so many more emotions that threatened to spew out. “I like you. A lot. And if the day comes when we _do_ fail to stop Garmadon and we have to run away, I’d take your hand in a heartbeat.” Her eyes fell to the table. “But I don’t think I could just...ditch everything and every _one_ that I’ve fought so hard to keep.”

“You mean Kai?”

“I mean everyone, Jay,” Nya shook her head. “Kai, Cole, Wu, Lloyd, Harumi, _you_...” Nya placed her hand on Jay’s and looked up at him longingly. “If the day comes when we fail...I’m taking them _all_ with us.”

Jay grinned. “You really are determined, aren’t you?”

“I don’t think I’ve felt this way about anything before,” Nya admitted quietly. “It’s like... _finally_ , for the first time in my life, I’m really doing something that matters, y’know? Not just stuck up in the blacksmith shop, wasting away my best years of life forging swords. Now, I’m spending those years I have making real friends. People I really do care about. And, the best part is, that I actually found a really nice guy that I can connect with.” Nya smiled sweetly up at Jay, intertwining her fingers with his. “I remember standing there in the shop, on my 16th birthday, wiping the sweat from my forehead, and thinking, ‘ _gosh, at this rate I’ll never find someone.’_ I guess all it took was...” Nya laughed out loud, and Jay quickly realized why. “All it took was you capturing me and throwing me in a hold.”

Jay turned red. “Yeah...guess that memory will always be kicking around, huh?”

“It’s how we met, Jay,” Nya rolled her eyes. “For better or for worse, that’s one of the most _important_ memories we have.” She reached down to grab her glass and extended it to him. “Let’s toast, shall we? To our new relationship, wherever it will go, and to our future.”

Jay picked up his own glass and brought it forward to tap hers. He smiled. 

“To our future.”

* * *

“How goes the search?” Kai yawned as he entered the dining room where Cole had a laptop set up. He and Kai had just gone the day before to purchase it from a second hand dealer in Jamanukai Village. “Hope it’s been more successful than my quest for peace and rest, because my bed still feels like a rock.”

Cole rolled his eyes. “The search has been...almost great.”

“How much is that?”

“Not quite great,” Cole stated. “Or maybe it would be better to call it pre-great.”

“Never-gonna- _be_ -great.”

“So-close-yet-so-far-great.”

“You guys are not helping,” Nya announced as she entered through the doors with Jay. She hid the bag of leftovers behind her back, but she knew that suspicion would rise either way.

“I was wondering when you two would finally show up,” Kai retorted, shaking his head. “You know, Jay, when I told you I would be okay with you dating my sister, I wasn’t exactly saying you should sneak away with her behind Wu’s back.” The fire ninja folded his arms. “You do realize that you could have been arrested, right?”

“Garmadon’s forces were nowhere to be seen,” Jay waved Kai’s concern off dismissively. “I took Nya to Mega Monster Amusement Park – the last place anyone would expect to find a pirate and his girlfriend.” He looked at Nya with a glint in his eye as he said “girlfriend”, and Kai noticed.

“You’re starting to make me consider changing my mind, Jay,” Kai warned. 

“Maybe you’re just being overprotective,” Nya accused her brother, who glared at her in response.

“Hey, now,” Cole jumped in front of Kai, shaking his head. “Kai is just being a good brother. He’s putting his own protectiveness and self interest aside for your own enjoyment.”

Kai’s eyes widened in confusion, and then gratefulness. “Hey...thanks, Cole.”

“The important thing right now is not the fact that Nya and I were gone last night,” Jay reminded them, despite Cole’s interruption. “I do believe we have a princess and an elemental to find.”

Cole nodded solemnly, turning back to the computer. “It’s been a long rabbit trail and we’ve hardly narrowed any locations down...but we at least still know where Lloyd is.”

“Chen’s Island.” Jay chuckled. “We already knew that.”

“He _was_ ,” Cole corrected, taking the others by surprise. Flipping the screen around to show the others, he pointed to an image that popped up. “This is leaked camera footage of a blonde male, redheaded female, and two droids entering the city of Stiix.” Cole grinned and looked back at the others. “And if you look closer, you can see someone else close at the blonde male’s side."

“Harumi,” Nya whispered. “How did she-?”

“I don’t know,” Cole admitted. “But this is a huge lead.”

“How old is this footage?” Jay asked.

“It was taken just yesterday. The problem is that the footage is so low quality and they could be anywhere by now.”

“Scratch that,” Wu’s voice called as he entered the room with his pot of tea in hand. His face looked strained and tired, and he hadn’t left his room until now. “The Spirit Smoke gave me another revelation. I believe I know where Lloyd, Skylor, and Harumi will be this afternoon.”

“Really?” Kai asked. “That’s...impressive. Maybe I should try that stuff.”

“It took many hours of meditation,” Wu continued. “But it was worth the effort. The vision wasn’t perfectly clear, but I know that they’ll be taken to an auction at the black market at Nom."

“The phantom town?” Nya raised an eyebrow.

“I...know not of this ‘phantom town’,” Wu stated, appearing interested. “Why do you call it that?”

“Oh,” Nya shrugged. “It’s one of the stories that the villagers back home told to Kai and I when we were little kids. Sure, Nom is well known for the black market there, which _somehow_ hasn’t been shut down by the mayor, but the stories depict an ancient Phantom Dragon that hid behind the moon above the town.”

“Behind the moon?” Cole asked, laughing. 

“It’s a story,” Kai reminded him, but he was laughing too. “Probably just made up to scare kids away from even getting close to the black market.”

“If Lloyd, Harumi, and Skylor are being taken to be sold at the black market...” Nya rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “That means they were captured.”

“But not by Garmadon,” Jay added. “He would have killed them. Makes no sense to go off and sell them to the highest bidder – he’s the _emperor.”_

“Who could have captured them if not him?” Kai asked incredulously. “We’re talking about Lloyd and Skylor – probably the two most powerful elementals out there.”

“Even the most powerful can fall victim to a productive mind,” Wu spoke, clutching his staff tighter as he imagined just how his nephew could have fallen. “In these testing times, Lloyd and Skylor will both be making rushed decisions. Keeping Harumi alive and safe is their own mission now, and I’m afraid Lloyd especially may not be thinking straight if any kind of danger has been thrown Harumi’s way.”

“Then we’ll go and bring them home,” Cole stated firmly, coming to stand beside Kai. “We won’t let you down, Sensei.”

“Very well, Cole,” Wu nodded. “You must all use your element of surprise to your advantage. This new enemy will not expect your arrival, and if you act smart about it, you can get them all out of there without risking a fight. Jay, here,” Wu looked over at the pirate, “will stay behind. I need to speak with him about something important.”

“You can tell me quickly and then I can catch up, right?” Jay asked. “They’ll need my help.”

“They have turned out fine, Jay,” Wu shook his head. “Those three will work as a team. For now, we have much to discuss.”

Jay looked over at Nya nervously before nodding to Wu and taking a seat on a bench.

“Move swiftly, Ninja,” Wu sighed.

“Yes, Sensei.”

* * *

“I didn’t wanna have to do this, y’know,” Ronin drawled on as he led Lloyd, Harumi, and Skylor in by chains. Zane and Pixal were deactivated and held in a large crate that two villagers carried behind Ronin. “These black market buyers are bad business most of the time. I hate Nom.”

“Then take us somewhere else,” Lloyd rolled his eyes.

“I would,” Ronin raised his voice, turning to look at Lloyd as he continued to lead them through the village. “But unfortunately, just having you three in my custody is enough to paint a target on my chest forever. I need to get rid of you, and fast.”

Lloyd didn’t respond to that. As he noticed Harumi stumbling ahead of him, he reached out to touch her shoulder. He could feel her shudder in response before she realized that it was him. She looked over her shoulder at him, and her scared expression was replaced with a sad smile. The poor girl wasn’t used to this kind of life, this kind of _humiliation._ Sure, she had been a slave on Chen’s Island, but that had only been among Chen and his cultists. Here, she was about to be put on display at a market, being sold to someone like an object.

The thought disgusted Lloyd, as he knew it disgusted her. He wondered what his own fate would be. Who in their right mind would purchase Garmadon’s own son? 

As Ronin led Lloyd, Skylor, and Harumi onto the stage, Lloyd could feel his glimmer of hope quickly fade away. He was forced to his knees, as were Skylor and Harumi, and he hid his head in shame. There were hundreds of lowlifes standing and cheering as the boy who had once been a symbol of his father’s power was now belittled to the point that he just looked pathetic.

“Well,” Skylor whispered to Lloyd, shaking her head sadly. “Guess we really screwed up this time, huh?”

Lloyd didn’t respond. He only stared at the wooden platform, hoping to drown out the noise of the crowd.

“Let’s start with the droids,” Ronin called out, but he was shut down by the chorus of angry banter.

“Bring up the princess!” some of them shouted. “Give us what we’re here for!”

Lloyd watched Harumi’s face fall, and he felt a pit in the bottom of his stomach. After all of this, he had ultimately failed her. He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to look back or not. He wanted to see something hopeful and bright from her, but he was also afraid she’d look on him with disappointment.

“You heard them, Princess,” Ronin sighed as he helped Harumi to her feet. “The crowd’s waiting.”

Harumi looked on the crowd only for a few seconds before shutting her eyes as tight as she could. She didn’t want to open them ever again. Her shoulder’s slumped, and if it hadn’t been for Ronin’s steadying hand, she most likely would have collapsed right back onto her knees. 

“Here she is,” Ronin announced, but something in his tone said his heart wasn’t in this. “The Jade Princess herself, Harumi Shygami!” Ronin’s voice grew louder as the crowd grew louder, and Harumi’s ears began to hurt from all of the sharp noises.

“Five hundred thousand!” one man called out.

Ronin laughed. “Are you serious? That’s not nearly enough. Bidding starts at ten million.”

A long silence fell over the crowd as the bidders all began to calculate the digits in their heads. Some began to slowly step away, and Ronin just kept laughing. “Not so eager now, are you?"

A hand shot up from the crowd, causing Harumi to hang her head lower.

“Ten million five hundred!”

Another hand shot up.

“Eleven million!”

“Ooooh,” Ronin snickered. “Maybe some of you are eager after all. We have eleven million. Will anyone make it eleven five hundred?”

“Eleven five hundred,” another bidder called out.

“Can we make it twelve million?” Ronin continued.

“Twelve million!” A higher, female voice cried out.

The amount of hands raising into the air began to dwindle. Another raised a hand, and shouted, “Fifteen million!”

Even Harumi had to raise her head and open her eyes wide at the offer. She looked over at Lloyd in defeat, knowing that this pretty much sealed her fate.

“We’ve got fifteen million,” Ronin repeated. “Will anyone go higher? Do I have a sixteen million? No?” He continued to look around. “Going once...going twice...”

“Seventeen million!” A voice called out just in time, causing a visible tremor in the midst of the crowd.

Unknown to anyone participating, a trio of masked ninja had just taken their spots on the roof, looking down through the rafters at the scene below them.

“Gosh,” Nya whispered. “These people are willing to spend a _lot_ of money just to take Harumi off this guy’s hands.”

“And I don’t expect that this will be ending anytime soon,” Cole shook his head. “The crowd is getting even more excited. They aren’t anywhere close to winding this down.”

“So, how do we sneak in and snatch Harumi and the others when they’re literally the _center_ of entertainment down there?” Kai asked. “They’re each in chains, too.”

Cole groaned. “You’re right. This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.”

“What about our smoke pellets?” Nya asked, pulling one out from her gi. “We could throw them down there, then jump down and unchain them in the mess of things. By the time the smoke clears, we could be out of there in no time.” Nya shrugged. "Like Wu said, we have the element of surprise.”

“Good plan, but it’s not foolproof,” Cole pointed down at the platform. “Once we get the others, how exactly are we going to get back out? There’s way too many people down there blocking off the doors. Surely, we can’t climb up with each of them on our backs.”

“We could try,” Nya offered.

“Let’s just leave Skylor behind,” Kai smirked without much thought of it. “Maybe down there, she can get what she deserves anyway.”

“Kai...” Cole started, but Kai cut him off.

“Come on, Cole, sure she may be acting all loyal to Lloyd and all, but let’s be real. Do you really think she gives a crap about what happens to Lloyd _or_ Harumi? Better yet, maybe she’s only working to keep Harumi out of the enemy’s hands just so that _she_ can turn around and do the same thing to make a fortune off of her.”

“We don’t have any _proof_ ,” Cole argued. “We’re getting them all out of there. Skylor included.”

Kai grumbled something under his breath, but Cole ignored him.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from the crowd, and everything grew quiet.

“What just happened?” Kai sputtered. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure...” Nya squinted. “Looks like whoever this buyer is must be someone really important.”

“Twenty-five million,” the voice called out, clearly female, and the crowd let out a long “ooooooh.”

Ronin laughed in surprise. “Wow! What an offer. Going once...going twice...”

No one said a word.

Ronin shrugged. “Sold to the good miss over here. Step up here please, madam.”

“With pleasure,” the woman responded, pushing past dozens of bidders to take her place on the platform. Harumi’s eyes widened. The woman was young, possibly only a year or so older than Harumi herself was. She seemed to be very fitly trained, and her gray and azure outfit resembled something a _ninja_ would wear. 

_Huh. Small world._

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Ronin grinned, and the girl rolled her eyes.

“The name’s Seliel, _sweetheart_ ,” she mocked Ronin, pushing past him roughly to take a look at the princess. Now Harumi could get an ever better look at her. Seliel had fair, tanned skin and pink-ish red hair that somewhat resembled Skylor’s color. A blue streak ran through some of her strands, and her wavy hair fell freely past her shoulders. Seliel had a thin but strong face, and her full lips began to curl into a smile as she looked Harumi over. Her dark eyes danced around before Seliel nodded and folded her arms contentedly. “So, she _is_ the real deal.”

“Yes,” Ronin nodded. “And, as such, I need my promised payment.”

“Oh, you’ll soon have it,” Seliel nodded, and before Ronin could argue, she waved him off and turned to the others. “I’ll take your other captives, too. I’ll give you fifteen million for the redhead, and...” Seliel made eye contact with Lloyd for a moment and nodded her head. “And I’ll give you twenty million for Garmadon’s son.”

Ronin tried to speak, but clearly the large amounts of money made him stir-crazy.

“And on top of that, will you accept an additional five million for the two droids?” Seliel folded her hands behind her back, smirking confidently.

“Uhm...uh, yeah. Yeah!” Ronin stuttered, clearing his throat. “That’s fine with me.”

The crowd began to protest, but Ronin began waving them away. “Sorry, but I’m all out! It appears I have a most _eager_ buyer.”

“You have no idea,” Seliel agreed, but there was something else behind those words that Ronin didn’t pick up on. 

Above the roof, Kai, Nya, and Cole were looking at each other in disbelief.

“This girl must be some kind of _billionaire,_ ” Kai guessed. “Do you realize how much she’s _spending_?”

“Just wait,” Cole held up a hand. “Whether she knows it or not, she’s just made out job that much easier.”

Nya nodded. “Now she’ll be taking all of them outside the building, and we won’t have any problems jumping down and taking back our friends.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Cole warned. “This girl may be rich, but I don’t think that’s all there is to her.” Cole narrowed his eyes as he watched Seliel on the platform. “Her outfit looks familiar, don’t you think?”

“A ninja gi,” Kai noticed quickly. “Not just anyone would really pay any mind to it, but it’s pretty clear what it’s meant for. Do you think she trained with Wu at some point?”

“I’m sure Wu’s not the only sensei out there,” Cole shrugged. “Maybe it’s just a fear tactic.”

“Then let’s go talk to her,” Nya quipped suddenly, and leapt off of the roof before Kai or Cole could argue. 

“Nya, no!” Kai groaned, but then hurried after her, with Cole close behind.

As soon as Nya’s feet made contact with the ground, she rushed forward to grab Seliel from behind, but the woman quickly whipped around and kicked Nya to the dirt.

“Ugh,” Nya groaned, clutching her stomach. 

“Nya?” Lloyd exclaimed in surprise, looking up from his chains.

“Not just her,” Cole called as he came to the ground right behind Kai, and the two of them got into a readied position.

Seliel began to smirk in amusement. “You all know each other, huh?”

Cole didn’t answer that. “We don’t want to hurt you, alright? But we _need_ those prisoners you just paid for.”

“Well,” Seliel took a breath before dropping the end of Lloyd, Harumi, and Skylor’s chains onto the ground. As everyone looked on her in confusion, Seliel explained herself. “I didn’t buy them with real money. I’m _freeing_ them so they can live their lives and _hopefully_ have a better chance at evading Garmadon’s watch.”

Kai blinked. “Huh. I didn’t expect that.”

“So, you gave Ronin fake cash,” Lloyd began to smirk as well. “Y’know, it won’t be long until he finds out. He knows your name and face now.”

“Yeah, but he can’t touch me,” Seliel waved it off. “I’m the mayor’s daughter.”

“You still manipulated the auction,” Nya pointed out.

“An auction that is already illegal in the first place,” Seliel folded her arms. “I don’t see anything wrong with what I did. Slavery is _completely_ illegal in Nom, or any civilized establishment in Ninjago. Not even Garmadon himself allows it.”

“So these lowlifes make their business in the slums where they won’t be noticed,” Lloyd nodded. “There’s been a lot of those.”

“Well then,” Seliel turned and gave Lloyd an inquisitive look and shifted her weight slightly to one side. “I must admit, though I am not keeping you as slaves, I _will_ ask that you all come with me to my father’s home. It will be much safer there, _especially_ from Ronin, and maybe then I can help you find a better way of keeping Princess Harumi safe.” Seliel turned to the girl and bowed in respect. “Your Majesty.”

Harumi nodded in response and then smiled. “Thank you, Seliel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand we've got Seliel now ;D Honestly I'm enjoying writing her so far. Trying not to have too many characters to know what to do with, but she's going to have a larger role than you might expect. Had to do some research around the "Who Is the Phantom Ninja?" book in order to sort of get used to her character and personality, and I even took some notes from the Way of the Departed stories by Tommy Andreasen.


	25. The Phantom Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, guess its been a while since I last updated this, huh? The truth is, June is a pretty busy month tbh, (usually the busiest for me every year) and school wrapping up recently didn't necessarily make it easier to sit down and right. Picking this up 25 chapters through can also be pretty draining, but its not that I've lost interest or anything. I just needed a break to work on some other projects (which will remain unposted for the time being) and yeah that's about it. 
> 
> Hey uh 2020 sucks yeah enjoy

Seliel had her fair share of meddling with the black market. Ever since Garmadon’s takeover of the entirety of Ninjago, the girl had been sneaking into the depths of the town to hopefully right a few wrongs on her own. That’s why she was so excited to find that her next batch of slaves to rescue where, in fact, a group of people that could truly help turn things around, not just for Nom, but for all of Ninjago.

And so, as Seliel got off the phone with her father, she walked back into the living room where she had set her new guests by the hearth. “Alright, guys, coast is clear. My dad says its safe for you to stay here as long as you need to. Apparently the word on the street is that Garmadon’s focusing his attention on some sort of grand project, so security around here is a lot less strict than it usually is.”

“Thank you,” Harumi chirped from where she was wrapped up in a blanket by the fire, seated beside Lloyd. Her hand had slowly danced its way over to his, tangling their fingers together as if she hoped it would make it harder to separate. Lloyd didn’t say anything about it, but she could tell that he definitely didn’t mind. So, she scooted over slightly just to be that much closer.

“A grander project?” Nya asked, looking up at Seliel with worried eyes. “Do you have any idea what it is?”

“No,” Seliel shook her head. “My father thinks it might have something to do with broadening the empire. Garmadon holds all of Ninjago, but I don’t think he wants to stop there. Not while other nations could possibly stand against him.” Seliel took a seat on the edge of one of the couches, and stared into the fire thoughtfully. “I thought we’d never find anyone like you.” She gestured around the room. “ _Ninja._ We’ve waited so long for the day when destiny would send us some form of hope.”

Cole shrugged. “I mean, so far we haven’t really done a _lot_ outside of training...”

“And we’re trying to stay hidden,” Nya added. “At least, until we’re certain that we can protect ourselves and others.”

“Then, maybe you just need a test run in the field,” Seliel grinned, and each of her new guests looked at her in wonder. “There’s reports of some of Garmadon’s agents conspiring just outside the town. If you think you’re up for it, I can show you the way.”

“What _kind_ of agents?” Kai asked, folding his arms.

“Not Serpentine,” Seliel actually seemed surprised at the idea. “This is probably the first time I’ve seen Garmadon send us anyone who isn’t a snake.”

“It could be those guys Garmadon sent after us on Chen’s Island,” Cole pointed out. “Killow, Samukai, and Ultra Violet.”

“Or it could be Mr. E,” Skylor finally spoke up for the first time in a while, seated apart from the others. “I fought him recently onboard one of Garmadon’s warships. He’s not dead, I’ll tell you that much.”

“Great,” Kai rolled his eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be the _most dangerous woman in Ninjago_. You couldn’t kill a single thug?”

“He’s more than that,” Skylor glared daggers at Kai, turning her body to look at him straight on. The tension between them was becoming more than obvious to everyone watching. “Mr. E is a skilled warrior. An _expert_ in combat. He’s the reason I had to wear that stupid bandage over my stomach.”

Kai seemed to be ready to shoot back with another remark, but he looked Skylor over for a moment and then suddenly looked offended. He whipped his head around and practically growled, “Why is _she_ wearing a ninja gi like she’s one of _us_??? You’d better not have invited her to the group without us knowing, Lloyd.”

Lloyd held the bridge of his nose and let out a long, exasperated sigh. “She’s not a ninja, Kai, and I didn’t make her a member of the team.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“ _But,_ ” Lloyd emphasized, looking at Kai seriously, “she _is_ trying to be better, and we both agree that the lifestyle of a ninja will be a lot better for her. This isn’t insinuating _anything_ , it’s just...”

“Get used to it, hothead,” Skylor cut in, smirking way too much as Kai’s face grew heated. “For better or for worse, you’re gonna be seeing a lot more of me for a while.”

“So sure about that, huh?” Kai scoffed. “You may have gotten Lloyd to trust you, but I’m not letting you wrap me around your finger. Not even close.”

“Excuse me,” Seliel cleared her throat. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m going to call it a night.”

“Wait,” Cole spoke up, practically getting to his feet. “What about getting into the field and investigating Garmadon’s agents?”

“It won’t be safe to investigate it this late at night,” Seliel shook her head. “The dragon’s anger would be upon you.”

“The Phantom Dragon?” Nya chuckled, looking back at Kai. “From the children’s story?”

“Take it as you will,” Seliel shrugged. “Trust me, you won’t want to go out there until morning. I’ll bring down some sleeping bags for each of you. I’m sorry that we don’t have any extra bedrooms for you, but we don’t exactly have permission to go into the mayor’s mansion anymore. My dad got kicked out a long time ago.”

“We appreciate it,” Lloyd nodded with a smile. 

* * *

After the sleeping bags were set up, and Seliel went to her own room for the night, the group all seemed to take their sleeping bags to different corners of the room, some of them avoiding each other like the plague in the case of Kai and Skylor.

Kai and Nya took one corner of the room behind the couch, with Cole joining in beside Kai. Zane and Pixal stood against the wall, still powered off as they recharged their energy reserves. Skylor took her spot far enough from Kai not to have him glaring at her but still close enough to practically _feel_ his childish distaste.

This left Lloyd to help Harumi set up her own bag. He held it open for the princess to slip her legs inside and pull the rest of her body in, and then he zipped up the side with a whispered, “Goodnight.”

Lloyd took his own bag a few feet away from Harumi, and as he slid inside and turned onto his side to see Harumi’s face, she was almost giving him sort of a teasing pout face, and he rolled his eyes before scooting his bag closer to hers. With his voice lowered to a whisper, Lloyd commented, “You know if anyone sees us, they’ll tease me until the end of time.”

Harumi just smiled contentedly and reached out to grab his hand again, only to find to both their amusement that his arm was tucked inside the bag, as was hers. “It’s dark,” she offered, but it was clearly just an excuse. “I’ll feel better being right with you.”

“ _Right_ ,” Lloyd nodded sarcastically. “At least this time, it’s not on accident after watching all of our friends get drunk off of spiked tea.”

Harumi nearly snorted in a very un-princess-like fashion. “Oh, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to forget about that, will we?”

“It was an...interesting way to wake up,” Lloyd shrugged. “Definitely wasn’t expecting for Uncle Wu to walk right in either.”

“Mmm,” Harumi hummed peacefully as she nuzzled into her sleeping bag and looked at Lloyd with sleepy, but admiring eyes. “This sleeping bag is nice, but the wood floor kinda ruins it, don’t you think?”

Lloyd blinked. “I mean...I guess.”

“You’re _softer,_ ” Harumi giggled, and at this point Lloyd was completely certain that she needed some sleep. “I _know_ because I slept on top of you. Remember?”

Lloyd blushed. “Yeah...I remember. I’ll bet you really miss your expensive bed in the palace, huh?” Lloyd cleared his throat, clearly trying to change the subject.

“Eh,” Harumi stuck out her bottom lip a bit before grinning. “I bet you’re still better.”

Lloyd stared at Harumi with wide eyes, almost in disbelief. “The guys wouldn’t let me go about it for _two_ lifetimes.”

Harumi simply shrugged and wiggled her bag over to be resting right against his, and he could feel her shape fitting around his through the sleeping bags. “It’ll be good enough,” Harumi mumbled sleepily, pulling her arms out of her bag to wrap around Lloyd’s waist.

Lloyd almost jumped back at the touch, but after a moment, he gave in and relaxed into the touch. “Alright...you win.”

“Yay,” Harumi laughed quietly, shutting her eyes and resting her head on Lloyd’s shoulder.

Lloyd brought himself to lie still as to not stir Harumi, but let out a long sigh as soon as he was sure she had fallen asleep. Lloyd wondered if it was only because of how close he and Harumi had gotten that his mind was restless, or if there was something else. Here he was, doubting himself again. Lloyd felt that sinking feeling grow in his gut. 

He turned his eyes around the room, to see the sleeping forms of his teammates – his _friends._ At least, Skylor seemed to be the only other one who couldn’t sleep. The redhead looked over at Lloyd from across the room, twirling a blade in her hand. Still, she wasn’t looking in his direction.

Lloyd looked back at Cole, Kai, and Nya, and then back at Harumi, and at the room he was lying in. All of this was just a hard reminder that whatever he was gaining and holding onto in his absence from his father, could possibly be taken away in the blink of an eye. These people were vulnerable. Harumi was vulnerable. This town was vulnerable.

Ninjago was vulnerable.

He had committed himself to this cause regardless, hadn’t he? Hadn’t he promised Wu that he’d right his wrongs and fight to change things? Back at the Monastery, in that shower, he had doubted himself as well, but he eventually found an escape from those thoughts in all of the distractions he had put up.

Lloyd grumbled and looked down at Harumi’s sleeping form. Was that what Lloyd was making her into? A distraction? Just someone to be concerned about instead of being concerned for his problems? 

Lloyd didn’t even want to think about what would be necessary to truly remove his father from power. Imprisonment wouldn’t last forever, and there was no telling how much his powers allowed, even behind bars. Killing him would be the only ultimately effective route.

Garmadon would never love him again. 

Lloyd would have to kill him.

The only way to give the throne back to Harumi would be to _kill_ him.

The worst part was that, for better or for worse, it was all _his_ destiny to do it. After all of this time, Lloyd Garmadon would have to be the one to reestablish peace.

_“That’s so wrong..._ ” Lloyd whispered to himself, and then finally let sleep overtake him.

* * *

**“I’m going after him,”** Garmadon growled through his teeth, pitching his voice in a way so that nearly everyone in his fortress would at least hear the low rumble. 

“But, my emperor-“ Samukai argued.

**“If what you tell me is true, and my son’s fate is in the hands of these _criminals_ , then there is no greater importance right now. Lloyd must be extricated at once.”**

“Emperor Garmadon,” Ultra Violet chirped, her voice not nearly reaching as far as she intended due to the fear building up like a lump in her throat. “The group is made of several warriors, each with elemental powers. At least _four_ of them, maybe more.”

“And that _wretch,_ Skylor,” Killow added.

Garmadon suddenly began laughing quietly, and the three soldiers each stepped back in surprise and concern for their own wellbeing. 

“...what’s so funny?” Samukai asked, feeling just a bit braver than the other two.

**“It’s humorous that here you are now, warning me of the very things that I warned you about the _first_ time I knew that Chen’s daughter was involved. I don’t care if there are elementals among her – they are clearly poorly taught if it was so easy for you to catch their trail. Besides,” **Garmadon paused for emphasis, **“It was Skylor herself who had you tied up like dogs in her palace, and then sent you crawling back to me. It was a foolish decision on her part – she should have gotten rid of you while she could – but nevertheless, you each were no match for her. Why do you think the warnings of such pathetic** ** _hounds_ would mean _anything_ to me now?”**

“With all due respect, my emperor,” Violet spoke up, “she and Chen fought us together...”

**“And now I _own_ his amusing ‘empire’ and he is dead.”**

“You will be outmatched...”

**“I implore you to repeat my previous statement for yourself,”** Garmadon snared. **“Chen was cast aside like a speck. Gone. Mere** ** _footmen_ did what you three couldn’t with a lucky sniper shot. And now, this band of fools and criminals will fall just as he did, but this time by my own hand. I am _through_ with entrusting my son’s rescue in incapable hands.”**

The three soldiers kept their mouths shut.

**“I will return to the fortress before the next sunset. Have a dozen cells open and ready for new prisoners. When I come back, these elementals will be imprisoned for interrogation, the pirate Captain Walker will be put on trial and sentenced to death, and I’ll have the corpse of Chen’s daughter as a reminder that _none_ can hope to challenge my power.”**

Garmadon began walking away, but still muttered, **“And my son will do well to forget whatever lies and foolish ideas these criminals have exposed him to.”**

* * *

Lloyd woke up in a rather disturbed state, mumbling tired and nonsensical sounds as he felt a pair of arms tugging on him. At first, he jolted forward in a desperate escape from the chains that bound him in Chen’s dungeon, but then realization hit him and the dreams dissipated. Lloyd was lying in a semi-comfortable sleeping bag rather than a cold hard floor, and the chains wrapping around him were replaced by the comforting arms of a sleeping princess.

The other pair of arms that were roughly shaking him belonged to the new girl, Seliel. Lloyd finally got his eyes to focus in the dark and he recognized her. “Wha-?”

“Shh,” Seliel warned, pressing a finger to her lips. “You must be quiet,” she whispered, and her eyes darted around the room, but not at anything in particular. “It’s best that we don’t wake anyone else, or things could become worse than they already are.”

Lloyd was confused, but he had met stranger incidents over the past few days. He nodded silently and moved to get up, only to be reminded of Harumi’s presence as her weight shifted against him. He let out a sigh, gesturing to Harumi’s sleeping form only for Seliel to offer him a shrug.

“Just slowly push her off.”

Lloyd did as she suggested and gently pushed Harumi off of him, resting her carefully onto her sleeping bag and removing her arms from his waist. As he finally came free, he stood to his feet and hurried after Seliel, who had already taken off, tiptoeing all the way.

As Seliel led Lloyd up a flight of stairs to the roof, their problem took form and a large, long body of black and silver scaling rushed by through a gust of wind. Lloyd ducked for cover, but Seliel only pushed him forward.

“What is this?” Lloyd tried his best to keep whispering, but his voice grew a bit louder and – understandably so – more distressed. 

“This is your doing, from what I can tell,” Seliel answered, and surprisingly, she didn’t sound upset, yet she didn’t sound surprised either. “That’s the Phantom Dragon. From Kai and Nya’s _‘children’s story.’_ ”

“Should’ve guessed things would only get worse,” Lloyd sighed. “Now, how is this my fault?”

“Your powers,” Seliel started, “angered it so badly that it came here itself to meet you face to face. This is how the dragon has always behaved, but it isn’t everyday that it senses an element so strong that it brings the dragon as far as to pursue a fight.”

“It wants to _fight_?”

“Yes. This is the first time he’s been angered this much in over a decade. I believed that all of the elementals were gone, and after so many years of assuming that the dragon wouldn’t have any reason to come here out of anger, I hadn’t really considered this as a possibility when I took _several_ elementals into my home.”

“So this is _all_ of our faults then,” Lloyd surmised.

“No, just yours.”

Lloyd raised a brow. “I really don’t understand the distinction.”

“You’re the son of Garmadon,” Seliel shrugged, nonverbally telling Lloyd that she didn’t really have a direct answer for _why,_ only that she knew she was right. “I’m guessing you’re more powerful than the other elementals sleeping in that room. Right?”

Lloyd thought of Skylor. “I’m not sure...”

“Well, the dragon is circling my house, and that’s basically his way of saying that _yes,_ you are the most powerful, and your powers must _really_ anger him because he’s nearly crashed down on us several times."

“So you want me to go out there and challenge a _dragon_ to a fight,” Lloyd summarized, with pure disbelief tracing his words.

“He’s already challenged _you_ ,” Seliel corrected. “And he’s getting impatient.” She waited for a moment before admitting, “I really don’t mean to sound pushy or anything, you seem like a nice guy, but seriously, if this dragon doesn’t fight you here and now, my house will be the least of our worries.”

Lloyd nodded and then, reluctantly, walked himself onto the roof. 

The dragon turned out of its flowing arch to see him, and came gliding forward. It perched it’s talons into the side of the house and brought its wings down to rest against the chimney. It’s long neck stretched forward so that its jaw could open in a mean snarl.

“Just great,” Lloyd grumbled.

The dragon struck first, diving head first into the roof to capture Lloyd in its teeth, but missing and hitting a few tiles as Lloyd jumped out of the way.

“Away from the house, ugly,” Lloyd shouted, demonstrating his point as he vaulted himself off of the roof and onto the ground in a quick recovery roll. He began taking off over a large hill behind the house, and the dragon eagerly followed.

To Lloyd’s surprise, the dragon hadn’t yet made any sounds except for the ones inadvertently caused by the scraping tiles on the roof. Even its wings fell silent against the night sky, and it hadn’t attempted anything close to a roar yet. The dragon swooped back down to sink its claws into Lloyd’s back, but he ducked back just in time. The dragon swooped up and turned its weight to come back around, giving Lloyd an opportunity to stand his own ground and summon a sphere of bright energy between his palms.

The dragon flapped its wings quickly, then, almost as if it were backing away from him. The behavior was soon replaced with a determined swoop back down, but it was clear that Lloyd’s powers were forcing it to approach differently.

Lloyd blasted forward, sending a short range beam that just barely grazed the surface of the dragon’s belly, and he dove down for cover in frustration. _That was too short. I must be losing my touch..._

Lloyd shot back up again from behind the hill, just as the dragon came back down from its recovery swing, and the beam of energy hit further and harder than before, this time earning a small shriek from the beast. It flapped its wings back defensively again, but this time, Lloyd continued his assault and hurled another two energy beams right back at it, one hitting it’s right ankle, and the other meeting the scales and flesh of the dragon’s neck.

The dragon fell back in a mess of its large wings, rolling back several times as it hit the ground. It desperately hurried to untangle itself, while Lloyd stood from on the hill, lighting his hands in energy once again. The dragon began _running_ instead, forgoing its wings and rushing towards Lloyd with an open jaw. Fire burst forward and engulfed the surrounding area in a dense smoke, forcing Lloyd to jump for cover where he knew he wouldn’t find any.

Somehow, the dragon missed, Lloyd realized. Then he saw the long tear in his left pant leg, and then the blood trickling down the length of his leg. _Yep, it definitely didn’t miss._

The dragon had ran right through Lloyd, and was turning itself around for a second attack before Lloyd could even bring himself back into a readied position. It struck, and Lloyd just barely weaved out of the way of its large feet. It came again a third time, and there was little that Lloyd could do to resist the sharp claw coming down on his shoulder.

Lloyd cried out, fell to his knees, and clutched his bleeding shoulder in frustration. That was the thing about being Garmadon’s son, he assumed. He was usually too angry to feel the pain.

_I’ll be feeling it later._

The dragon had regained flight again, bringing itself up to a proud height before diving down to Lloyd, rearing its claws. Lloyd reached up with a glowing green hand to somehow protect the rest of his body, but the dragon’s attack never came. Instead, it shrieked and fell back to the ground, sprawling itself on the grass. Lloyd looked up and saw a familiar face.

“Kai.”

“Wassup, Lloyd?” Kai asked, grinning. His hands were lit on fire, and he looked across the hill at the effects of his own surprise counterattack. “Seriously, dude, I know you’re Garmadon’s son and all, but you don’t _have_ to do everything alone.”

Lloyd blinked. This was definitely an improvement from their previous antagonistic (yet reasonably rare) interactions. 

The dragon looked back at Lloyd, and then Kai, before flying off in the other direction quickly, evidently fleeing from the fight.

“Huh,” Kai laughed. “Guess I scared him more than I thought.”

“He seemed to be frightened enough just by seeing me,” Lloyd admitted. “I guess he realized he’d rather not continue a fight where he comes out as the outnumbered one.”

“Yeah, Seliel told me the whole story,” Kai shrugged. “I woke up from some loud noise and, at that point, Seliel had to tell me what was going on. She said it was best that you were the only other one awake so that the dragon wouldn’t get angrier and burn down the village or something.” Kai grinned. “But, as destiny would have it, my being here was more help than hurt.” He looked down at Lloyd’s leg, and then back up at his shoulder before wincing. “That looks painful.”

Lloyd sighed. “Yeah.”

“Let’s, uh, head back inside, I guess. The dragon should be long gone, I guess.”

“Yeah.”

“Can you...can you walk?”

Lloyd took a few steps. “Yeah.”

“Have any other words in your vocabulary?”

“Yeah. Sleep.”

“Good idea. _After_ we get you bandaged up."


	26. Kill the Messenger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay, somewhat consistent schedule is back

“You ever gotten cut up this bad before?” Kai asked, mostly trying desperately to make conversation so that the process of cleaning up all the blood would seem just a bit less unpleasant. Seliel had gotten Lloyd to sit down on the edge of the kitchen counter for now and then left for her room, leaving Kai to bandage up this poor guy all by himself. “So, what do you think this might be?” Kai asked as he held up a long plastic tube. “Gauze? I think this might be gauze.”

Lloyd sighed. “No, that’s just toothpaste.”

“Okay, but why is it in the medicine cabinet?”

“Did she _say_ it was a medicine cabinet?” Lloyd asked, now feeling even less confident in Kai’s ability to do much of anything about the cuts.

“Now that you mention it, no. She just said I would find whatever I need in here. Would have been helpful if she elaborated or maybe stuck around to help out.”

“She’s doing more than enough for us already,” the last word came out a bit slurred as the pain began to swell and Lloyd jolted forward a bit. Kai jumped to his side and grabbed hold of the younger man’s uninjured shoulder, chuckling a bit.

“Easy there, killer. You know, I had wondered back at Chen’s island why you didn’t seem to react much.”

“Hmm?”

“To the pain.” Kai walked back over to the cabinet and continuing digging through it, pulling out a few items as he found them. “I mean, we all got our fair share of cuts and bruises in that place, but Chen seemed to beat on you most of all. Although, I think most of the time, it was because you would always punch back _harder._ ”

Lloyd grinned. 

“Hey, this box looks like it has some bandages in it,” Kai announced as he came across it, turning himself to give Lloyd a good look at it. “The dragon didn’t seem to cut too deep, so it shouldn’t be a _really_ messy job.”

“Yeah,” Lloyd agreed. “Basically just grazed me. Still hurts like hell, though.”

Kai snorted. “I imagine so. You know, I never thought this elemental lifestyle would mean so much injury. First, Skylor comes to us at the Monastery with a bruised stomach, and even Cole got a bruised knee from tripping on the Mountain of a Million Steps.” Kai laughed.

“I, uh...I usually don’t _lose,_ much less walk away with injuries, so...this is sort of new for me.” Lloyd admitted this quietly, but not sheepishly. His reserve had been slowly falling while being around the team, not just Harumi and Wu, and Kai was one of the first people to notice.

“So,” Kai said as he began pulling some of the bandages from the box, “what was your life like when you worked for Garmadon? Did you go on tons of missions like you do now or was it different?”

“I led legions of warriors into battle,” Lloyd said quickly, his eyes fixating on the refrigerator across the kitchen. “My father didn’t always require my presence on the battlefield, but when he did, it was tough. Chen and his cultists were only a few names on a long list of enemies who didn’t take too kindly to my father taking over the country.”

“I can relate,” Kai muttered. He had finished bandaging up the leg, and carefully slid Lloyd’s pant leg back down over it. “I need to work on the shoulder now. Not that your clothes aren’t already tattered enough to give me a good look at it, I need you to take your shirt off.”

Lloyd shrugged and quickly discarded it.

“So, would you say that your line of work was noble?” Kai asked, and this question caught Lloyd off guard. “I mean, I don’t think either of us would say it was _good_ , but do you at least think that your position in your father’s army was something to be proud of? What were you? A commander? General?”

“Supreme commander,” Lloyd answered. “Right under my father.”

“Right. So, back to my question. Maybe a better way of asking it would be: did you think it was important?”

“Of course. From the way I saw it, I had a role in solidifying my father’s great empire for years to come. It’s still sort of hard to completely flip my way of thinking, but...” Lloyd sighed. “...but I know that I was wrong. I know the things I have done under my father’s command have only worsened the day to day lives of Ninjago’s people.”

“Yeah, I’ll admit, it’s sort of hard on my end too,” Kai cut in. “To see _you_ differently, I mean. You’ve changed a lot since we first met not so long ago, and I mean a _lot._ I know Wu and Harumi trust you now, and Nya’s warmed up to you too, plus I’m pretty sure Cole is chill with you...I don’t know, man, life is really weird and I guess I’ve finally decided to embrace it and accept change when I see it.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah, well anything this big takes time,” Kai added. “But I think I’m willing to make an exception for you. I trust you now. I guess.”

“ _Very_ reassuring.”

“Yeah, well believe it or not, that’s the quickest I’ve trusted _anyone_ like you. Don’t get me started on Skylor-“

“You don’t have to trust her,” Lloyd assured him, with a bit of an eyeroll. “She and I have come to a bit of a mutual understanding, so at least we know she won’t do anything stupid like try to have us killed or something.” Lloyd paused, looking out into the darkness of the living room thoughtfully. “She’s a killer, yeah, but something tells me she won’t want to get rid of the only people she’s got left."

“What did she lose though?” Kai asked. “An abusive dad? From what I understand, she’s never _had_ anyone good. If we’re really the closest thing she has to a _family_ , well...I mean, that’s pretty sad.”

“We can’t just dump her off somewhere after we take back the throne,” Lloyd nodded. 

“She’s an adult, isn’t she?”

“An adult who’s also a killer and clearly has family issues.”

“She won’t admit it.”

“It’s the one thing she’s horrible at hiding,” Lloyd shrugged. “I’m not saying she should join the team, but...”

“But you would want that,” Kai finished for him, only sounding _somewhat_ upset. “After the change you’ve gone through, it hurts to see her continue down the dark, depressing path that we pulled you from.”

“That’s...that’s pretty accurate, yeah.”

“She would need to be here for _all_ of us, not just me,” Lloyd stated firmly, in a way already setting the ground rules for an idea that had barely been thought of. “We need to get to the point where we all _feel_ like family, or at least like a team. She needs to trust us, and we need to trust her. One hundred percent. Ow!” Lloyd fought the urge to reach up and touch his shoulder himself. “A little slower on the bandaging, alright?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Kai chuckled. “Guess my whole body reacted understandably when you said something like, ‘spending the rest of my life with a murderer.’”

“You forgave me,” Lloyd argued. “Whether she has more confirmed _kills_ than me isn’t what’s most important.”

“You did it because you thought it was right.”

“And she isn’t?”

Kai thought for a moment. “I don’t know...”

“We should get some sleep,” Lloyd forced the conversation to a close, and carefully dropped back to his feet. “Hand me my shirt, would ya?”

Kai nodded and turned to grab it, but a smirk spread across his lips as he looked back at Lloyd. “Does Harumi know you work out?”

Lloyd furled his eyebrows. “Uh, what???”

“I’m just wondering if she’s seen-“ Kai gestured widely at Lloyd’s torso, and the younger man groaned.

“That’s weird, Kai, now hand me my shirt.”

“I’ll take that as a no, then. You’re gonna have to go borrow a shirt from Seliel or something, because your gi is torn up quite a bit.” Kai held up the black fabric for Lloyd to see and stuck his full hand through the hole. “Unless you’d rather slip back into your sleeping bag alongside Harumi while shirtless.”

“Again, Kai, let it _go._ ”

“Fine, fine.”

“You know,” Lloyd stopped at the doorway and looked back at Kai, seeming thoughtful, “you’ve changed quite a bit yourself, y’know.”

Kai shrugged. “Like I said, stuff’s weird lately.”

* * *

Ronin was ticked off. No, he was more than ticked off – he was _beyond_ frustrated. He imagined that anyone who couldn’t understand how he felt could simply picture having the tickets to a future where they would never have to work a day in their life again, and then losing them. It was really worse than winning the lottery and then misplacing the number somewhere.

Now, he had lost Princess Harumi, Lloyd Garmadon, and Skylor Chen in the blink of an eye and had been played for a fool. His auction had quickly collapsed and forced Ronin into a position he never would have imagined he’d have to worry about. Seated at a table with his wrists tied together, Ronin watched a group of large, burly men pace back and forth as they considered what to do with him.

“You have to understand the issue with promoting such a _huge_ auction in my market, Ronin,” the main guy, whose name was Dan, apparently, folded his arms and was clearly fighting the urge to punch Ronin’s lights out. “You go around the black market districts of Ninjago, flashing around your _princess_ and your _son of Garmadon_ like you own the best thing in the world, and then when you get all of these _hundreds_ of buyers to drive hundreds of _miles_ down here to try and get a piece, _all_ of your items for sale suddenly go missing.”

“Sounds pretty convincing to me,” another man added. “Did you suddenly remember that there might be someone out there that’ll pay another few million for the white-haired chick or what? Some of those buyers were being _more_ than generous for the princess alone. If we find out that you faked this whole thing just to take your prizes somewhere else...”

“I don’t _fake_ anything,” Ronin spat angrily. “I may be a bounty hunter, but what I do is always genuine. Someone used smoke pellets when my guard was low, and they got away with them. Had to have been someone _really_ good to have gotten in undetected. Unless your guard staff aren’t as capable as you claim.”

“They did their job,” Dan shook his head. “But now, regardless of what happened to the princess and your other items, there’s a pretty long list sitting on my desk right now. You know why those names are there, Ronin?”

Ronin rolled his eyes.

“They want their money back, Ronin! And, no, it’s not because of the auction itself, or even the entrance fee. It’s the fact that you wasted their _time_ , Ronin, and that’s something we can’t refund.”

“So just give ‘em some goody bags and they’ll keep their mouths shut,” Ronin joked dryly. “Isn’t that normally how you keep your little money making business running strong after all these years?”

“Today’s different,” Dan scoffed. “This time, it’s not the fault of my business. Today, it’s all on you, and somehow _you’re_ going to repay us.”

Ronin raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“You can start by getting the princess back,” the other man from earlier replied. “Bring back even just _her_ , and the amount of money you’ll repay us will hardly be noticeable among the wealth you gain from her.”

“You’ll be set for life, as you wanted,” Dan nodded, “and there will no longer be any bad blood between us. Maybe I could use your talents again someday.”

“Not likely.”

Dan frowned. “Well, either way, you’re working for us _now_ , whether you like it or not. There’s been whispers that one of your two droids were spotted being dragged up a hill only a few hours ago. If your slaves really _were_ stolen, it’s possible that their new owner is hiding them away in the higher village near the mayor’s house.”

Ronin stood to his feet. “Whatever. Cut these ropes off my wrists, and I’ll get the princess back before sundown.”

“You’ll have some of our own professionals working with you,” Dan added. “We need to make sure you don’t try to trick us again, you understand.”

“They’ll only slow me down,” Ronin refuted.

“Maybe slow you down from running away,” Dan shot back.

* * *

“I kinda wish we had bought Sensei a phone or something,” Cole commented as he followed the rest of the team throughout the town. He ignored some of the funny looks that the townspeople were giving the strange group of masked people, and added, “We ran into this same problem before, when Lloyd and Skylor went back to the island. There’s no way of relaying information back and forth.”

“And, on top of that, we have no way of at least telling him that we’re alright and we found who we were looking for,” Nya added. 

“I just wanna know why we’re out here chasing thugs when we could be working towards finding a way back to the Monastery,” Kai grumbled, kicking away a few small stones as he walked. “I get that Seliel wants to make sure we haven’t been tracked, but we have more serious things to worry about.”

“How _did_ you guys get here anyway?” Lloyd asked, turning to Kai, Cole, and Nya – the only three ninja who had come with him. “Did you take a boat or something?”

“We got a taxi, basically,” Cole shrugged his shoulders. “This traveler passed us by while we were walking and gave us a ride. Only problem now is, we need a different ride, and a bigger one at that.”

“How many people do we have now?” Nya began counting on her fingers. “Us four, plus Skylor, Harumi, and the two droids...that’s eight people to have to haul off back to the Monastery, somehow discreetly.”

“We used one of my father’s infantry transports to fly to Stiix, and it would have had plenty of room for you guys as well...” Lloyd trailed off.

“Let me guess, you had to get rid of it?”

“No, actually. We were going to drown it or something, but Ronin kidnapped us, so...yeah.”

“It’s probably too dangerous to head back to Stiix now...right?” Kai asked.

“Probably.”

“Hey guys, be quiet!” Nya hissed, pointing out at an old shack where a dark figure was walking around. 

“That must be him,” Cole narrowed his eyes. “The guy Skylor fought – Mr. E.”

“He may have stood his ground against her, but he hasn’t tried taking on all four of _us_ on his own,” Kai grinned cockily, rubbing his hands together just to create a few small flames in anticipation. “I say we jump him.”

“Well, I say we wait to see what he’s doing,” Lloyd argued.

“He _is_ the leader,” Nya nodded, giving her brother an unhelpful shrug. “What do you think we’ll learn by watching him, Lloyd?”

“He’s set up a communications array inside the shack,” Lloyd stated, keeping his eyes glued onto the helmeted warrior the whole time. “He could just be sending back a report of civilian activity, but I think this is different. He’s one of my father’s finest, not a simple scout.”

“So, the information he’s sending back could be pretty big,” Nya’s eyes widened. “Like the location of _you_ , Lloyd. What if he’s seen us?”

“He’s _about_ to, anyway,” Kai snorted.

“Just wait, Kai,” Lloyd held up a hand in warning. “Mr. E hasn’t been typing anything. He’s just watching. I don’t think he’s sending information, but instead receiving it. Probably new orders...”

“In a small town like Nom, what could have changed unless he saw us?” Cole pointed out. “We should take that receiver and look into it ourselves.”

“I agree,” Lloyd nodded. “But we’ll have to take out Mr. E quickly before he can call for backup and alert all the forces to our location.”

“I have a recommendation,” Nya stated, pulling out a shuriken from her pouch. “A quick cut to the neck should suffice, right?”

“That’s pretty dark,” Kai commented.

“Taking him out would make our job easier in the long run,” Cole said.

“Just hand it here, Nya,” Lloyd whispered, holding out his hand for Nya to place the shuriken inside it. After feeling the cold metal between his fingers for a moment, Lloyd crossed his arm across his chest, focused on his target, and hurled the shuriken across the sky, making a soft whirring sound as it cut against the wind. 

Mr. E suddenly shifted, turned his head, and caught the shuriken in his own hand with stunning accuracy. He only had to peer around for a moment before noticing his attackers, and he pulled out both of his blood red katanas. The moments of silence only increased the feeling of regret tugging at each of the ninja now.

“Great, guess it’s gonna be a fight then,” Cole groaned, leaping up to raise his fists. 

Kai moved first, running swiftly to come within a few feet of Mr. E before sending a sweeper kick that hit hard against the warrior’s leg but didn’t cause it to budge. Realizing the futility of his attack, Kai moved back to summon fire into his hands and send them towards Mr. E, forcing him to fall back onto the ground.

Nya leapt in behind her brother and added in her own element, only developing a large steam cloud that suddenly hid Mr. E away.

“Water just cancels my powers out, Nya!” Kai yelled, looking around frantically for Mr. E.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that!”

“Guys, just keep moving!” Lloyd shouted, breaking off into a sprint with Cole right behind him. He squinted his eyes and pulled himself through the steam, finally revealing Mr. E, who was waiting patiently outside of it. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Mr. E swung his katana down on Lloyd, who rolled to the side and sent a strong punch to Mr. E’s helmeted head. The impact caused the armed man to stumble back for a moment, but he quickly recovered and punched back. 

“I gotcha, Lloyd!” Cole yelled as he came up behind Mr. E and grabbed his arms, locking them together behind his back. Mr. E began to squirm, causing Cole to struggle in his effort to hold him still. “H-hurry!”

Lloyd sent a flurry of green-trailed punches at Mr. E’s chest, watching his posture slowly lessen with every hit until Mr. E was practically dangling there in Cole’s arms. As Cole moved to change his hold, Lloyd suddenly took Mr. E into his own hands and threw his body onto the ground, leaning over above him to continue his attacks.

“Lloyd, stop! He’s done! We got him!” Cole shouted, his eyes widening in surprise. He reached forward timidly to grab Lloyd’s shoulder, but the blonde jolted violently to shake him off. 

“Lloyd, that’s enough!” Nya shouted, grabbing Lloyd’s left arm as Kai held his right. “C’mon, Cole, help us hold him back!”

“Get _off_ of me!” Lloyd shouted, an odd echo tracing his voice, as if there was a second voice speaking in tandem with his own.

With their combined efforts, the three other ninja managed to pull Lloyd off of Mr. E and onto the ground, leaving Cole and Nya to pin him down while Kai turned back to keep Mr. E down as well.

“Lloyd!” Nya shouted. “Your eyes, they’re...”

“They’re _really_ bright,” Cole grunted, having to turn his face away from the bright green that illuminated Lloyd’s eyes. “Just...settle down, dude.”

Lloyd shook for another moment before his body relaxed under Nya and Cole’s hold and his eyes lost their glow. He settled back on the grass and sighed.

“You calmed down now?” Nya asked, and Lloyd slowly nodded.

“I...I’m sorry,” Lloyd offered helplessly, managing to sit up. “Guess it’s just some of the old me coming out...I would have _killed_ him if you hadn’t stopped me. I know I would have.”

Nya looked at Cole worriedly, and he looked back with much the same expression. Nya turned back to Lloyd and asked, “Are we gonna have to worry about this some more moving forward?”

“No, no,” Lloyd shook his head, almost as if the idea was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Mr. E just brought back some bad memories and triggered something in me, I guess.” Lloyd stood to his feet and began to walk. “Now, let’s take care of this before he tries to escape.”

“Funny story about our friend here,” Kai spoke from where he was knelt by Mr. E’s unconscious body. He held up a metal plate and said, “He’s not even human.”

“A droid, like those two who came with you and Skylor?” Cole asked Lloyd, and he nodded.

“Yes, he’s a _lot_ like Zane and Pix, but...but without all of the _feelings_ , I guess.” Lloyd knelt at Mr. E’s other side and examined the body, and Nya felt the need to ask another question.

“So...you knew that all along? You were fine with killing him because he wasn’t human?” She sounded all too hopeful, and Lloyd hated to disappoint.

“No, I didn’t know he was a droid,” Lloyd admitted. “I know about _what_ he is, though. My father had a small batch of advanced androids created for various purposes, but he never told me which ones specifically. I’ve fought alongside Mr. E before, but all this time, I thought he was just one of us.” Lloyd laughed bitterly. “Guess that’s why he never said anything.”

“Well,” Nya started, turning to the shack, “with that guy unconscious, we can start checking through the communication array. C’mon!”

Kai moved first, stepping right up to the screen and hovering his fingers over the keyboard curiously. “Huh, lucky us. Mr. E didn’t have enough time to turn on the screensaver. Whatever he was looking at is still up.”

“Looks like he was having a conversation with someone,” Cole noticed, watching some of the various keywords and digits cross the screen. “Maybe he does talk after all.”

“Can you play back the conversation?” Nya asked. “There has to be a way to do that, right?”

Lloyd nodded, pushing past Kai to try his own hand at the array. “I’ve had to use these myself several times before. I should be able to pull up the conversation back to when it first made connection.”

After a few moments of typing, the screen changed and a dark, low voice came from the machine.

**_“I’m coming to Nom myself. Wait there for my arrival, but keep an eye on these criminals’ position. Do not engage them; I will dispose of them all, one after the other. Time is of the essence, and I will not leave my son’s fate up to them.”_ **

****


	27. Too Trusting

“He’s on his way right now,” Kai repeated for probably the fifth time since he had gotten back to Seliel’s house. “We heard the recording ourselves. Garmadon is done sending his warriors after us. He’s gonna finish this himself.”

“So, what now, Lloyd?” Seliel asked, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. The girl clearly was concerned for her new friends’ wellbeing, but it was even more clear that she was angered at the thought of their inevitable confrontation doing damage to her village. “My father won’t dare send the small number of soldiers that we have after Garmadon. That would be treason.”

“You’re already harboring criminals,” Skylor pointed out curtly, only to get a frown from Seliel.

“Can we expect help from you, at least?” Cole asked, looking over at Seliel hopefully. “Something tells me that, while you won’t get your village involved, you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to confront Garmadon for a while. Come with us, and we’ll be even stronger to resist him.”

“Guys, just stop,” Lloyd groaned, finally walking over from the window where he’d been staring distantly for minutes on end. “We’re not going to endanger Seliel or any of the civilians in Nom. My father’s coming here directly; that’s unavoidable now. Still, if we can somehow move the fight to somewhere farther away, we can avoid casualties.” 

“I’m willing to help, Lloyd,” Seliel spoke up for herself, shrugging her shoulders. “Cole’s right, I’ve waited for this day for a long time. I know a good place where we could divert the fight to: a large valley not far from here.”

“You don’t _understand_ ,” Lloyd emphasized by pointing out the window at the sky. “My father is on a mission of his own – one that he won’t fail. You don’t know how powerful he is. He’ll _kill_ you all!” Lloyd ran a hand down his forehead in frustration. “I can’t give him the chance to.”

“We’ve never fought together,” Skylor spoke up, gesturing around the room. “All of us, I mean. Lloyd, you and I were nearly unstoppable before. Add in Kai, Cole, and Nya, and you’ve got three more elementals to add to the mix. After we wake Zane and Pixal back up-“

“No!” Lloyd yelled, ushering a terrible silence into the room. He looked around in defeat, at Skylor, at Kai, at Harumi... “Wu’s vision is right. You aren’t strong enough to survive this. I just don’t see any other way.”

“Then, if it’s the only path we can take, then we’ll take it,” Nya assured Lloyd. “If this really is inevitable, then we’ll have to do our best. Maybe there’s still a chance. There has to be.”

Lloyd looked at Nya painfully before slowly nodding his head. “Fine. At least we’ll be standing together.”

The meaning of those words wasn’t at all encouraging, but it was still what they all needed to hear.

Lloyd felt an arm wrap around his waist and a smaller body fit against his, and he looked over to see Harumi’s sad smile as she told him, “Don’t worry so much about us. You’ve got yourself to look out for too, y’know.”

Lloyd wanted to argue with that, but a sudden outburst from Nya cut him off.

“Guys, we- _mghf!_ ” Nya’s yelling was quickly muffled by something, and the group whipped around to see Nya in the clutches of two armed men holding a hand to her mouth. She wiggled around to escape their hold, but a third man came to reinforce them.

“Get your hands off my sister!” Kai shouted and began to run towards them, but the sight of a knife being brought only inches from Nya’s neck caused him to freeze.

“Heh, not so eager to fight now, are ya?” one of the men sneered, watching Kai’s eyes widen in fear.

“Drop her,” Lloyd raised his voice, the words sounding like poison as he moved away from Harumi to face the men. His hands summoned green energy with a familiar _crack,_ and Lloyd’s eyes began to glow like they had before. Cole noticed this.

“What he said, creeps,” Seliel agreed, pulling out one of her katanas, only to be stopped in her tracks when one of the men pointed a gun at her. Seliel frowned. “Oh...so it’s gonna be that kind of thing, huh?”

“They’re not the ones who need to right a wrong here, Miss,” Ronin’s cocky voice rang throughout the room as he entered behind the three men. He raised his hands up to show that he, unlike his cohorts, was unarmed, but this didn’t put Seliel or any of her guests at ease. “I came to get back what _you_ stole. Usually, I’d get over it eventually or let the thief have his fun for a few days and _then_ pursue him, but you...” Ronin gave a dry laugh and shook his head. “...you have cost me more than anyone ever has. Regardless of what your intentions were, you committed a crime.”

“So did you, when you kidnapped innocent people and tried to sell them off to the highest bidder,” Seliel spat back, gripping the hilt of her katana tighter. 

“They’re _criminals_ , so I’m just doing my job as a good, lawful citizen,” Ronin shrugged. “Be grateful I was willing to send ‘em off with some greedy slimebag rather than the Emperor.”

“Lloyd’s not a criminal,” Kai snorted. One look at Ronin’s confused face and Kai added, “Didn’t bother checking on that, did ya?”

“...he’s not?”

“He’s Garmadon’s _son_ ,” one of the men slowly added, finding himself agreeing with the ninja.

“That’s beside the point,” Ronin suddenly shouted, shaking his head again. “You’re changing the subject, and I don’t appreciate that. Now, hand over what is _mine,_ and I promise to leave the rest of you – and this _gorgeous_ house – untouched.”

“Harumi, go out the other door,” Seliel hissed.

“Don’t bother,” Ronin chuckled. “We’ve got the whole house surrounded. We can just keep _talking_ or you can just do as I ask and get this over with right now.” 

“Not interested,” Lloyd commented quickly, and before Ronin could pick up on the ‘ _second voice’_ accompanying Lloyd’s own, a barrage of green blasts illuminated the room and caused everyone inside to cover their eyes and fall to the floor.

“What in the-?” Ronin was cut off as he felt a shoe pin him onto the floor from behind. He looked up and around to see Lloyd’s glowing green eyes as the other light in the room went away, and Nya stood beside him, now free. The three armed men were discarded on the ground.

“Now, we do this on _my_ terms,” Lloyd spoke harshly, pressing his heel further into Ronin’s back. “You give me and my team safe passage out of the town, and you can walk away with all of your limbs.”

Ronin laughed against the carpeted floor in a complete contrast from how the others had reacted to Lloyd’s dark tone of voice. “Well, I do happen to like my limbs the way they are, yes. Doesn’t sound like I have much of a choice, do I?”

“No.”

“Alright,” Ronin sighed. “Boys,” he turned his head to see the three men scrambling off of the floor, “get out of the house and tell the others to get a ship prepared. It seems our new friends here need a ride.”

“We don’t take orders from you,” one of the men spat, and Ronin rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah? Well, now you take orders from green man over here,” Ronin shot back. “That is, if you’d like to go back to your boss eventually with at least some excuse.” As the men looked at him confusedly, Ronin added, “I can pay you double whatever he offered you to escort me. After this is all over, you’ll walk back to him with an excuse _and_ a nice pile of cash."

The men soon left the house.

“Well, you certainly work with some nice people,” Nya rolled her eyes, getting down on one knee to come closer to where Ronin’s face was pushed against the floor. “Didn’t realize your boss had to send babysitters to keep an eye on you.”

“Their boss,” Ronin took a breath, “is not my boss. I _have_ no boss. I work alone. Or, at least...not counting rare occurrences like today where I had little other choice.”

“Be honest,” Lloyd spoke up, digging his heel just a bit deeper, “did my father hire you?” His eyes shone a little brighter, to the point that the entirety of his eyes was hidden behind two glowing green coverings, only adding to the cold, almost emotionless tone that his voice held. He felt Harumi come beside him again, but he barely seemed to react to her hands grabbing his upper arm.

“No, he didn’t hire me,” Ronin admitted. “Any man who thinks working for that crazy killer is a good idea is a fool. He wouldn’t pay me, and he wouldn’t let me live.” After a pause, he added, “now, I’m starting to see where you get it from, kid.”

Lloyd let out a quiet but angry sound, almost like a growl, and Harumi tugged on him. “Lloyd, calm _down._ ”

Lloyd said nothing.

“Lloyd, just step away for a moment, _please._ You’re not acting like yourself.” Harumi pleaded with him, and finally Lloyd turned to look at her. The glowing green began to soften, and she could almost see his real eyes returning, but he wasn’t quite there. “You wanted to move past this, remember? You’re better than this.”

“Y-yeah,” Lloyd mumbled, and the dark tone of his voice quickly fled. The green of his eyes became dimmer, and he said, “I’m sorry. It keeps happening.”

“Lloyd went crazy like that on Mr. E just earlier,” Cole explained, frowning at Lloyd. “You’ve been through crazier crap lately, Lloyd, why are you acting like this _now_?”

“Garmadon,” Seliel folded her arms. “His arrival is imminent, and its making you get desperate.” She looked at Lloyd expectedly, and he could only offer her a small nod.

“We need to get him _out_ of here,” Harumi nodded her head quickly, pulling Lloyd to the door. “If we can get that ride before Garmadon gets here, then we won’t have to risk fighting him head on. We can bait him away from the city _that_ way, and...lose him in the clouds somehow.”

Ronin laughed. “That’s a poor plan if I’ve ever heard one, Princess.”

“Shut it,” Lloyd reminded him, but this time the darkness didn’t return.

“We have to _try_ ,” Harumi continued, ignoring Ronin’s comment. “We need to get to that ship and be ready to leave. Can anyone here fly anything?”

Skylor patted the two droids charging beside her and shrugged. “Zane’s not done updating his systems or some crap like that, so no.”

Harumi thought for a moment. “We’ll have to manage. Ronin, where is the ship?”

“At the harbor.”

Seliel scoffed. “That’s on the other side of town. Garmadon might not even see us when he lands.”

“So?” Ronin exclaimed. “Isn’t that what you _want_?”

Harumi gulped. “Usually, yes. But, this time...”

“...this time, it’s not just your sorry butts I have to save,” Skylor finished for her smugly, unplugging Zane and Pixal quickly. 

* * *

The unconventional group of people running through the streets of Nom was surely more than enough to have all of the townspeople scratching their heads in confusion. The odd band of ninja, a princess, an assassin with two droids hoisted over each shoulder, and a bounty hunter was even stranger than the variety of crime members in the lower district, but no one said much of a word as they passed.

As they approached the dock, Skylor placed her hands on her hips and asked, “Where’s the plane?”

Ronin scratched the back of his neck. “Never said it was a plane, sweetheart.”

Cole’s eyes widened. “A _boat_?”

Ronin held up his hands. “Ey, not just any boat, big guy. The _Bounty_ will take you wherever you need to go. _Even_ the air.”

“Just...where _is_ it?” Skylor yelled.

Ronin stuck his finger out in the direction of a rather large pirate ship, and Nya facepalmed.

“That’s your special _flying_ boat?” Kai would have laughed if their situation wasn’t so serious. “That’s just a big _sailboat_ , Ronin!”

“You haven’t even given it a chance!” Ronin defended himself. “Look at those beautiful thrusters on the sides. Trust me, it will work.”

Lloyd sighed. “Too late to turn back now. Let’s go.”

As Skylor walked onto the deck of the ship, she scoffed. “This thing looks like it hasn’t even been touched in decades.”

“Oh, it hasn’t,” Ronin nodded. “It still flies, though.”

Nya’s jaw dropped. “How???”

Ronin shrugged. “The guy I got it from assured me that it still flies. I trust him.”

“That’s a surprise,” Cole rolled his eyes.

“Just watch.” Ronin pushed past Harumi and Seliel to stand before the controls, and after flicking a few dials and pressing some buttons, a loud whirring came from outside the bridge.

Harumi gasped. “The thrusters...”

“...still work,” Ronin finished, grinning widely. “Told ya.”

The large ship began to rise into the air, and the angry and surprised cries of nearby birds filled the area as several dozen of them left their nests that they’d built onboard the _Bounty._ Skylor came beside Lloyd then, lightly punched his shoulder as she passed him, and said, “This ninja stuff is getting weirder all the time.”

Before Lloyd could give a snarky comment back, his eyes shot open and he ran over to the edge of the railing, leaning over the side as he scanned the distance for something that wasn’t there. Skylor raised an eyebrow and went to come behind him, only for Lloyd to whip back around and storm off to the control room, pulling Skylor roughly along.

“H-hey!”

“We need to talk,” Lloyd stated, ignoring Skylor’s complaint. As they passed the door to the control room, Lloyd peered inside, as if to count how many heads he could see inside, and then he continued moving through the ship with Skylor in tow. 

“You mind telling me what this is all about?” Skylor asked, groaning. Finally, she pulled her arm away and forced Lloyd to turn back to her. “You’re giving me that whole ‘silently angry’ thing again, and it’s _obnoxiously_ annoying.”

“I need you to do something for me,” Lloyd spoke quickly, once again ignoring Skylor’s comments. She looked at him with an offended glare, but allowed him to continue. “My father is going to land in Nom any minute now. I...I guess I can _feel_ him somehow.” Lloyd pressed a hand to his chest and nearly _clawed_ at it, as if he was attempting to rip something away. “It’s this horribly familiar feeling, and we don’t have as much time as we thought. We need to- er, _I_ need to stay back to hold my father off.”

To Lloyd’s surprise, Skylor looked somewhat _sad_. “Lloyd, you can’t.”

“I _know_ its stupid,” Lloyd said, expressing the unspoken argument that Skylor just hadn’t attempted yet. “And I know I don’t stand a chance. But I’m his _son._ I’m the _only_ one he wouldn’t try to kill on sight. At least, I hope so...”

Skylor folded her arms and looked down the hall, as if trying her hardest not to look at Lloyd. “After all this, you’re just gonna _ditch_ us.”

“No, I’m doing this to-“

“-to get the rest of us to safety, I know,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “At first, I thought your sudden rush of selflessness was really weird, but now it’s almost _painful_ because I know you’d get yourself killed if no one was there to stop you.” Skylor was trying to sound dry and unchanged by all this, but Lloyd could tell that, for perhaps the first time in her life, Skylor truly didn’t want a life to be lost here. The assassin was now, in her own sarcastic way, pleading with Lloyd to reconsider, but he had already made up his mind.

“I need you to make sure no one tries flying back,” Lloyd started, not giving Skylor much choice. “Take control of the entire ship, and if anyone notices I’ve left, don’t let them try anything. If you have to, just...lock them in the brig or something...” Lloyd gave permission for the last part a bit awkwardly, but Skylor only found it amusing.

“You want me to _capture_ your friends again?” Skylor would have laughed if she wasn’t so stressed. “Or, in the very least...overpower them?”

Lloyd nodded slowly. “Kai, Cole, and Nya are getting stronger everyday, but I’m hoping there’s more than one reason you’re the claimed _most dangerous woman in Ninjago_.”

Skylor grinned and palmed the handle of one of the knives clipped to her waist. “No knives. I won’t hurt ‘em, trust me. Might get a little rough, but they’ll only have to live with the embarrassment.”

“Power on Zane and Pixal if you have to, just to have an extra pair of eyes on everyone. When you’ve contained all of them – and _be careful_ –“ Lloyd emphasized, gaining a snort from Skylor, “pilot the ship to the Monastery and warn my Uncle Wu. He’s wise; he’ll know what to do to keep them safe.”

“What about our new friend, Ronin?” Skylor joked.

“Oh, you can tie him up too. Be as rough with him as you want, just don’t let him get near Harumi.”

“Got it. Can I drown him in the ocean after we leave?”

Lloyd shook his head. “A bit too extreme. Just dump him off at a bar or something and, if he knows what’s good for him, especially with my father involved, he’ll keep out of our business for good.”

“You sound too trusting,” Skylor shrugged her shoulders as Lloyd moved back over to the edge of the ship. “That’s exactly what I thought as soon as you said you were trusting _me_ with all of your friends. With _Harumi_.” Skylor frowned. “You know, if things hadn’t worked out the way they did, and I hadn’t somehow found a way to put up with you, this might have been the biggest mistake of your life.”

Lloyd breathed. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

With that, Lloyd hoisted himself over the edge of the _Bounty_ and began freefalling back down to Nom, using his powers to slow the fall.


	28. Amber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Skylor kicks butt and Lloyd's daddy issues ensue...

It didn’t take long for Lloyd to find him.

He was **_waiting._**

As Lloyd slowly closed the distance between them, walking across a deserted plain where his father stood stiffly by the cockpit of his shuttle, he could feel the shame and guilt begin to swell. Lloyd finally stopped walking as it grew too painful to get any closer, and he could almost see his father’s lips curl into an amused smile.

**“Lloyd.”**

Lloyd gulped. “Dad.”

There was another long silence before Garmadon began to step forward this time, and Lloyd had to remind himself not to step backwards in defense. Garmadon firmly planted his feet on the ground as he got close enough to hear his son’s panicked breathing. His blood red eyes slightly narrowed, and he grimaced. 

**“It’s been too long. Even my most skilled warriors failed to bring you back to me.”** Garmadon began a slow, suspicious circle around his son, who stood helplessly. **“I intend to punish them for their lacking results as soon as we get back to the fortress. Perhaps you would prefer to have the honors of striking their backs.”** Garmadon growled. **“After all, it’s their fault that you were gone for so long.”**

Lloyd chose his words carefully, albeit hesitantly. “A lot has happened.”

Garmadon froze. **“What is that supposed to mean?”**

Lloyd let out a shaky breath. It was obvious that he couldn’t try to hide it anymore. “I...I’ve seen...”

**“Speak up, boy.”**

Lloyd shut his eyes, unable to watch his father’s disappointed glare any longer. He clenched his fists at his sides and said, “I’ve begun to question our empire.” As the angry roar that Lloyd expected didn’t come, he continued, “I’ve seen what your reign has done. To the people of Ninjago. To innocent people who did nothing wrong.”

**“Where did you learn those kinds of ideas?”** Garmadon snarled angrily, causing Lloyd to slightly stumble back.

“I’ve had a good look around, Father. I think we need to change things.”

**“You don’t get to make those kinds of decisions!”** Garmadon roared. **“My empire is strong. It cannot be broken. That’s what makes my rule so effective – no one can oppose me. If that means tightening hold on towns and cities and effecting civilian lifestyle in any way, then so be it! Ninjago has never been more secure than now. Your sudden change of mind doesn’t surprise me, however, nor can I be angry only at you.”** Garmadon swapped his attention from Lloyd to the wide distance of Nom, and he asked, **“Where are these criminals who stole you from me? Where are these _rebels_ who dare to twist my own son’s mind against me?!?”**

Lloyd began walking backwards as Garmadon kept approaching. “They’re gone.”

Garmadon laughed dryly. **“Surely, they haven’t gotten far. If I have to tear down every house in this village to find where they’re hiding, then I will-“**

“They’re not here in Nom!” Lloyd shook his head rapidly, holding up his hands. “I promise you, they’re _not_ here.”

Garmadon’s expression remained the same. **“You are afraid that I will waste these people’s lives by searching through their homes.”** Garmadon placed his hands behind his back and added, **“No matter, I will do this quickly.”**

“No, you _can’t,_ ” Lloyd argued. “Dad, I’m serious, there’s no need to hurt them.”

Garmadon’s eyebrows furled and he pushed his son aside. **“Clearly, the thieves who took you have warped your loyalties more than I expected. I’ll have you sent back to the fortress immediately.”**

Lloyd ran a hand down his face. _This is going terribly..._

**“I get the feeling that you do know where they’re going,”** Garmadon growled. **“Tell me, and not only will I spare Nom and its people – for your sake – but we can put this issue behind us quickly. It won’t be long before you remember why you are faithful only to me.”**

Lloyd’s heart sank. It almost didn’t even feel like himself to think that way anymore. He looked up at his father, who – only for a moment – seemed much less angry and almost _welcoming_ , in a very twisted way. Lloyd had weighed the options in his head countless times before this. In the shower, in bed, during training, even while running for his life-

He could return to his father’s side and act like this never happened. He could assume his position as commander of the army again and help secure the empire. Without anyone to tell him otherwise, he would have no reason to doubt his lifestyle. Things would feel normal again.

But his conscience couldn’t be erased. He couldn’t forget the things he’d seen – the _hurt_ he’d seen. He couldn’t forget Skylor, and her odd but remarkable change of heart. He couldn’t forget his team. He couldn’t forget his uncle, who’d loved him in all the ways his father never had. He couldn’t forget Harumi, who’d loved him in all the ways he didn’t think were possible.

Garmadon was growing impatient. **“Well?”**

Lloyd sighed. _I may never see them again, but I can try and keep them alive._ “I don’t know where they’re going, I swear. They didn’t tell me. I escaped on my own.”

Garmadon looked unconvinced for a long while before he nodded and gestured back to the shuttle. **“Then get in the shuttle. My pilot will take you back to the capital. Get some rest when you arrive. When I return with their _heads_ ,” **Garmadon emphasized, sending shivers down Lloyd’s spine, **“then we can talk more about these... _ideas_ you have.”**

Lloyd nodded silently and began walking defeatedly towards the cockpit, with his shoulders slumped. He wouldn’t be able to hold his father back – that was obvious now. From this point onwards, he’d have to get a lot more creative in order to keep his friends alive.

* * *

Skylor could feel all of the suspicious eyes on her as she entered the control room. Cole sat up in his seat at her arrival and Kai even _shot up_ out of his seat with an accusing glare in his eyes. Seliel folded her arms, and Nya mirrored the same on the other side of the room, while Harumi seemed to watch Skylor’s steps intently.

“Where’s Lloyd?” Nya asked, but it was evident from her voice that she already suspected the answer. All of them did.

Skylor took a deep breath and then advanced further into the room.

“She asked you a question, _murderer,_ ” Kai spat, looking like he was ready to run up and throw Skylor to the ground. “Where is he?”

Skylor looked over at Harumi – the only one who she imagined who would even _possibly_ try to understand things from her perspective – and found only that painful, sad look. Skylor took another breath and then said, “I’m in charge now.”

Kai’s face grew even more heated and Skylor caught Cole fidgeting out of the corner of her eye. 

“Y-ah!” Kai shouted as he suddenly shot forward and swung at Skylor with a heated fist. His knuckle met the wall instead as Skylor ducked out of the way, and Kai brought his other fist towards her in a second attempt, which ended the same way as the first.

Skylor doubled back, dodging a few more fiery punches before catching the last one in her own hand. Her body surged for a moment in a stream of heat, and she felt her powers create a copy of Kai’s in an instant. Taking advantage of Kai’s moment of surprise and hesitation, Skylor pressed both of her palms to Kai’s torso and unleashed a burst of heat, sending the ninja to his knees. As Skylor heard the others’ steps coming close to her, she quickly wrapped her arms around Kai’s neck and forced him against the wall, pinning him there for a moment as she turned towards her next attacker.

Cole came in next, bringing his right fist up right into Skylor’s stomach, taking her by surprise with his speed and super strength, and Kai took the moment to start clawing at her in an attempt to free himself. Skylor grit her teeth and pushed Kai against the wall harder this time, and began using her free hand to force Cole back with a barrage of fire streaming from her fingertips.

Nya took note of this quickly and fired her own element back in Cole’s defense, dispelling Skylor’s fire for a moment and leaving water droplets pouring down her chin. 

Seliel came in right alongside Nya, and the two girls prepared to grab Skylor from both sides, only for the redhead to slide onto the floor between Cole’s legs, causing the other two girls to trip over themselves instead while Cole turned around confusedly. Kai fell to the ground at last, gasping for breath, but was quickly snatched back by Skylor using the element of Gravity. Extending her arm, she quickly manipulated the gravity around Kai to hold him to the ground tightly beside her, and she held out her other hand to use the element of Ice to freeze Cole’s feet to the floor when he tried to attack her.

“You’re gonna- _er_ ,” Cole grunted as he fought to break free, “ _regret_ that!”

“You and me,” Nya called to Seliel, who took her form beside her, and the two looked over at Skylor readily. “Let’s do this together. Force her to do more things than she can do at once.”

Seliel nodded and approached, swinging forward and having her fist caught by Skylor, while Nya attempted to deliver a sweeper kick against Skylor’s legs, which the assassin avoided the first time but was unprepared as Nya’s legs wrapped around Skylor’s ankles and squeezed, pulling her down to the ground. 

Skylor fell onto her backside hard, unintentionally letting go of her hold on Kai, who was now slowly pulling himself off of the ground. Skylor hurried to stand back up, only for Nya to push her back down. 

“We trusted you, Skylor,” Nya shook her head disappointedly. “It’s too bad we couldn’t have been friends.” 

Skylor raised an eyebrow. _Oh, so she assumes she’s already won._ As Nya stood above her, Skylor quickly pushed herself back up and grabbed Nya’s waist, just to vault the smaller girl over her head and throw her across the room. Nya squealed as her body made impact with a stack of large wooden crates, and Skylor slightly winced. _So much for promising no one would get hurt._

Seliel’s eyes widened in shock, and she looked back from Nya to Skylor a few times before grunting and running forward, almost bumping into Cole in the process. Her legs came up, and Skylor raised one knee to meet each kick. Seliel alternated them with some swift punches, managing to graze Skylor a few times before feeling the redhead’s thigh come crashing against her stomach, and her knee forced the element-less woman to the floor.

Cole came free now, having the ice around his ankles melted by Kai, who had finally recovered himself and was approaching Skylor with Cole right by his side. Kai brought both of his fists up in flames, while Cole clenched his fists.

Kai was infuriated. “No way you’re beating me now,” he breathed.

Skylor took that challenge. “Watch me.”

Kai swung first, bringing a dangerously hot fist close to Skylor’s jaw, which she narrowly avoided by tilting her head back and stepping back a few times. Cole brought his hands towards Skylor’s shoulders and gripped them tightly, signaling for Kai to continue. With Skylor held helplessly for a moment, Kai brought a few non-flamed fists up to Skylor’s face, catching her by surprise and landing a nasty blow to her bottom lip. 

Kai stepped back for a moment as he watched Skylor shut her eyes tight and spit a bit of blood onto the floor, and then she rolled her neck cockily. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Kai yelled and brought his hands up in flames again, but before the fire could touch Skylor, she managed to wrap a few fingers up around Cole’s arms underneath his hold and absorbed his power. With her newly acquired strength, Skylor forced Cole’s arms off of her and slid out of the way of Kai’s swing, causing him to stumble forward. Skylor caught his other hand in hers and pulled him down to the floor. 

Soon, however, Skylor felt Seliel come up behind her in an effort to tackle her, and Nya joined in, with Kai and Cole coming in after her.

After a few moments of resistance, Skylor crumpled onto her stomach, feeling her arms pinned to the floor by Cole. Nya and Seliel held down her legs, while Kai seemed to be standing not far away now, catching his breath as he stared down hatefully on her.

Skylor finally succumbed to their hold, allowing her body to relax. _No way this is happening..._

“Any final words, witch?” Kai yelled, and Nya waved him away.

“Kai, we’re not going to _kill_ her.”

“Fine, fine.”

“You made a mistake trying to take us all on alone,” Cole taunted Skylor, and she rolled her eyes.

“Trust me, guys, this was for your own good,” Skylor sighed.

Kai laughed. “Oh, really? What exactly did you achieve? You’re pinned to the floor. You’re outnumbered. You’ve got all four of us right here.”

“Exactly,” Skylor hissed, and then summoned the power of Poison – one she had hardly ever used – to fill the room. She could quickly feel Cole’s hold on her wrists weaken, and she used this opportunity to push him off and kick away Nya and Seliel. As the others fell to the floor, covering their mouths and noses, Kai stubbornly came back after Skylor, and pushed her towards the door. Her weight pushed the door open and she fell through, with Kai unintentionally spilling after her.

Their two bodies tumbled onto the deck, and Skylor recovered first, getting back onto her feet while Kai came up a few seconds later to glare at her. “You’re trying to kill us. Murderer!”

“It won’t kill you, trust me,” Skylor shook her head, summoning the element of Poison back into her hands and unleashing a cloud of it onto Kai. “I tweaked it with a mix of a few other elements so I could just knock you unconscious.” She watched Kai’s face fall and she grinned. “Guess it’s working.”

Kai ran forwards at Skylor, already beginning to fall, and Skylor gently rushed to grab his shoulders and push him onto the deck, where his body fell unconscious quickly. After a few moments of looking down at Kai’s closed eyelids, Skylor assured herself that it was over, and she took a deep breath.

“The things I’ve done for Lloyd, I _swear_ ,” Skylor whispered to herself.

After placing the four three unconscious ninja and Seliel into the brig, realization dawned on Skylor’s face and she remembered the one person who she’d forgotten to take care of because they had never attacked.

“You could have just answered the question and made it easier on yourself,” Harumi’s soft voice rang out behind Skylor, and when the assassin spun around to face her, she was surprised to find a gentle smile forming across the princess’ lips. “I think I already know why Lloyd left. And I think I also know why you had to knock our friends out and lock them in the brig.”

Skylor raised an eyebrow. “A detective, are you now?”

Harumi shrugged her shoulders. “No, but I know Lloyd, and in some ways, thanks to our time together, I know _you_. That’s something that _you’ll_ have to be able to honestly say about Kai, Cole, and Nya soon enough, if you really wanna feel at home.”

Skylor bit her bottom lip, bringing her hand up to wipe away some of the fresh blood. “Yeah, I don’t think kicking their butts all at once is gonna help that happen anytime soon.” Skylor watched Harumi’s face carefully. “I don’t want to knock you out too, if you’re just going to agree with me this whole time.”

Harumi sighed. “I want to go back for him.”

“That’s what I was afraid you were gonna say.”

Harumi pursed her lips. “Is _that_ reason to knock me out, now?”

Skylor thought about that for a moment. “Not unless you try something stupid.”

Harumi nodded. “Alright. Only if you hold up a promise for me like you did for Lloyd.”

“Just how much did you figure out-“

“That’s not important, really,” Harumi said as she folded her arms. “After we get back to the Monastery – to _Wu_ – you’ll go back for Lloyd.”

“Uh...”

“And you’ll take me with you.”

Skylor’s eyes widened. “Princess, I know you’re worried for him, but he made me do this so you’d be safe.”

“Yeah. And now, I’m gonna return the favor.”

Skylor shook her head in disbelief but silently agreed. “You know, Lloyd’s gonna kick my butt for this.”

* * *

Nearly an hour later, the ninja awoke.

Nya, rubbing her bruised back, managed to push herself against the wall to sit up, and watched through half-lidded eyes as her teammates began to emerge around her. She looked around at her surroundings for a few moments, and then up at the grate on the ceiling that served to keep them trapped inside. “So, I’m guessing this means that us getting beat by Skylor wasn’t a dream, then.”

“I told you guys she couldn’t be trusted,” Kai said bitterly, folding his arms. “She must’ve gone through all the trouble of earning Lloyd’s respect just so she could ditch him and imprison us all over again.”

Cole frowned. “And to think, we came to save _her_ , not just Lloyd and Harumi, from Ronin. What a way to show gratitude.”

Nya gasped. “Harumi! She isn’t here.”

“Skylor probably tied her to a chair or something,” Kai said.

“I’m trying _really_ hard not to be mad at you guys,” Seliel sighed, “but I hadn’t expected to get captured within not even twenty-four hours of meeting you. I didn’t expect to get taken out by an assassin, either.”

Cole winced. “Sorry about all that, Seliel. When we break out of here, we’ll make sure to get you back home as soon as you like.”

Seliel smirked. “Oh, so you’ve got a plan, then?”

“No, not yet. But, Skylor seems to be forgetting that I have super strength,” Cole shrugged. He rubbed his wrists for a moment before facing the wall. “I just need to find a weak spot somewhere and then make us a way out.”

Kai rolled his eyes. “You do realize that _she_ has super strength now too, right? She got _really_ annoying when she started using our own powers against us.”

“I was surprised by that,” Seliel commented. “I guess I never asked about all of you guys’ powers.”

“Yeah, well the element of _copycatting_ is what she’s got, apparently,” Kai added, sounding even more sour at his defeat. “Now, we have Garmadon and Skylor to worry about, and we don’t even know what happened to Lloyd.” Kai stopped as soon as he heard footsteps above them, and soon enough a pair of amused, dark amber eyes stared down at him through the grates.

“Talking about me?” Skylor sang.

“Yeah, you little-“ Kai started, but Nya slapped a hand over his mouth quickly.

“Just let us _out,_ Skylor,” Nya said exasperatedly. “We can make a deal. We’ll work together to get everyone far away from Garmadon’s reach, and we can pay you when we’re done.” Nya lied through her teeth, but she was surprisingly good at it.

Skylor’s lips curled into a smile. “Money isn’t what I’m after these days, sweetie. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not sure _what_ I’m after. But I was given a job to do, and while you may hate me right now, the person who made me do this wants the best for you guys.”

Kai laughed. “You mean to tell us that Lloyd asked you to beat us all up and throw us down here?”

“Not exactly word for word what you said,” Skylor shrugged. “But he needed me to take over for now, and he knew you wouldn’t willingly let me do that. I’m taking you back to Wu’s place – to the Monastery. You’ll be safe there for now, and hopefully the old man will know what to do about Garmadon.”

“I don’t get it,” Cole said. “We were already gonna go back to the Monastery. Why did _you_ have to take charge?”

Skylor’s silence served as a good enough answer to the unspoken question hovering in the air. 

“He stayed back to face his father,” Nya breathed, feeling the realization creep in. “He knew we’d fail, so he let us all go while he stayed behind in Nom.”

Skylor nodded. “Trust me, I didn’t like it either, but I can’t make his decisions for him.”

“I thought you were his friend,” Seliel blinked, not quite understanding or having nearly as much experience with Skylor as the others did. “Even if you had your differences, you obviously knew that he’d lose. Why would you let him go?”

“Because he asked.”


	29. Torn in Two

“We’re arriving back at our Emperor’s fortress, Supreme Commander Lloyd,” the pilot called back to Lloyd, who nodded his response. The flight back had been dreadfully silent, and had consisted mainly of several times when Lloyd would consider taking the pilot out and flying back to his friends, and then ultimately deciding not to jeopardize his rushed but well-meaning plan. 

For now, he’d have to play his part – maybe forever – and his friends would be safe far away.

As the shuttle touched down in Ninjago City, right outside the fortress entrance, Lloyd felt a wave of fear run through him. From the moment he exited the cockpit and stepped onto imperial ground, he could feel his father’s former presence here still lingering – practically tickling Lloyd’s own powers. It was weird how their elements were so different and yet the same, and how Lloyd could almost always tell where Garmadon had or hadn’t been lately.

There were about a dozen soldiers waiting to escort Lloyd back inside. He silently nodded his approval, and they took him inside. Lloyd was brought back to his quarters, to the dull grey walls and his small bed. As soon as he closed the door behind him and separated himself from the hordes of soulless, emotionless drones that took every order from Garmadon, Lloyd collapsed onto his bed. 

Staring at the ceiling was just as uninteresting as Lloyd remembered it.

“Supreme Commander?” a voice rang from the other side of the door, just as Lloyd was getting somewhat comfortable. “The Emperor has sent back a message. He is returning back to the fortress, and wants you to prepare Killow, Ultra Violet, and Samukai for their punishment.”

_Oh. That._ “Yeah, I’ll be there in a moment,” Lloyd reluctantly replied, pulling himself off of the bed and opening the door. The messenger had already walked away, and so Lloyd decided to get this over with as soon as possible. He still remembered the way to the prison. He also still remembered that, despite having a cruel guard staff, it was at least much more well kept than whatever Chen had used.

As soon as Lloyd laid eyes on the three generals, they looked back at him in shock and despair. Shock, because they hadn’t expected to see him back so soon, and despair, because they knew that Lloyd’s return basically sealed their fate. They would be punished very soon.

“Supreme Commander,” Violet mumbled out quickly, bowing in respect. Samukai and Killow did the same beside her, and each one of them appeared fearful. “I am very sorry that we couldn’t retrieve you from those elementals soon enough. Your father sent out the best warriors he could, I promise you.”

Lloyd decided to play along. _It’ll at least sell the act._ “Clearly, he needs to find some more worthy replacements,” Lloyd spoke in a lower, more commanding and merciless tone. He hadn’t used it in a long time. “You were bested by Chen and his daughter. Did you know that I beat them _both_ on my own?” Lloyd was fibbing, but they clearly didn’t know that. Violet looked up at him with wide, scared eyes. “Yeah,” Lloyd nodded. “That old Chen was a fool. Same with Skylor. All power, no skill.” Lloyd _almost_ felt bad about that last part.

“How can we ever gain your forgiveness, Supreme Commander?” Samukai wailed. “Please! We’ll do anything you ask of us.”

Lloyd bit his lip. “It’s not up to me anymore.” He turned away, practically _feeling_ the swelling emotions behind him before Violet spoke up again.

“We can still be useful! Please, just...give us another assignment! We won’t fail you, I promise.”

Lloyd shook his head, not turning back. “My father has already spoken. Guards!” Lloyd waved over a pair of soldiers, who quickly got to work at opening the cell to take the three failures to the throne room. 

* * *

Watching Garmadon nearly _pull_ off Violet’s limbs was almost unbearable to watch now. Before, when it was all that Lloyd had known, he hadn’t blinked an eye at any prisoner who Garmadon would torture. Maybe it was the softness he’d gained over the past few weeks that made him slightly cringe. Maybe it was the vision of Harumi in Violet’s place from back in Chen’s palace that made Lloyd’s heart sink.

This had been going on for only a few minutes now, but Violet’s screams of pain had already grown loud enough to wake the hounds in the arena outside the city. As her body convulsed and she felt the dark energy ripping and pulling at her muscle, Violet flailed around in the air helplessly, falling victim to Garmadon’s power completely. 

Garmadon had barely spoken a word since he’d started. He’d made a few comments about not being able to find the ninja, and that he’d set out again tomorrow, but right after that, he’d been left to his own thoughts. 

When he spoke again at last, Lloyd wished that he’d stayed quiet forever.

**“Finish the job, son. Tear them off.”** Garmadon used his powers to hover Violet’s shaking body closer to Lloyd, who only looked down at her hesitantly. **“She’s wasted herself. Pull of her arms and legs and dump her on the floor to suffer.”** The sheer merciless and murderous glare in Garmadon’s eyes was enough to make Lloyd gulp worriedly.

“I...are you sure?”

**“Positive. You can do the same with Killow and Samukai after, if you want.”**

Lloyd didn’t know what to do. Disobeying an order from Garmadon would surely result in punishment of his own. Slowly, Lloyd extended his own hands and summoned a familiar green energy that surrounded Ultra Violet’s whole body. Lloyd could feel Garmadon’s own hold release as he handed her over, and from that moment, Lloyd knew he had little choice.

**“Pull,”** Garmadon growled.

Lloyd did as he was told, slowly twisting the energy that gripped Violet’s ankles and wrists to gradually pull her apart. She screamed, and Lloyd could only shut his eyes in response.

**“Watch,”** Garmadon demanded.

Lloyd opened his eyes fearfully, but kept pulling, feeling Violet’s body straining in his hold. More screaming ensued, and Lloyd tried his best to block it out. He pulled some more, but couldn’t bring himself to pull just the perfect amount to rip the muscle and flesh and discard a dismembered pair of legs and arms onto the floor.

Garmadon was noticing this. **“Why are you hesitating? Finish her!”**

Lloyd shook his head and brought his hands to his chest in a moment of weakness, causing Violet’s body to break free and fall to the floor. Lloyd wouldn’t dare look up at his father. He’d defied his order. “I...I couldn’t do it. She-she doesn’t deserve it, Father! If she deserves to die, than she should die quickly. This is...too much...”

Garmadon growled for a few moments before nodding his head, much to Lloyd’s surprise. **“Fine. Perhaps I should have some sort of respect for my own soldiers that I wouldn’t give to a common criminal. But...you disappoint me, Lloyd.”**

Lloyd hung his head.

**“If you prefer to give her a quick death, go ahead,”** Garmadon continued, reaching over to grab a sword from beside his throne. He walked over slowly and handed it to Lloyd, leaving it in shaking hands. **“Run this blade through her heart and end her miserable life now.”**

Lloyd weighed his options. He had done this before, hadn’t he? Killing enemies of his father’s empire had been a responsibility given to him when he barely a teenager. He’d disposed of past failures before. Why was this one any different? Lloyd brought up the sword and turned to Violet, who lied there helplessly, looking up at him with a terrified expression that made Lloyd feel terrified _for_ her. 

Lloyd knelt down and grabbed Violet’s right arm in one hand, and brought up the sword in his other. Violet flinched at the touch, but clearly had no more strength to resist. She shut her eyes tightly, preparing for the end, and Lloyd nearly brought the sword to pierce her chest before Garmadon spoke again.

**“Now, another failure dies away to make room for improvement. When we catch the princess, I’ll make sure that it is you who brings that sword right through her.”**

Lloyd froze, holding the sword so that the tip of the blade was hovering just a centimeter away from Violet’s heaving chest. He looked up at her eyes, shut tightly, and then glanced back up at Garmadon with reluctance. “I...can’t.”

Garmadon didn’t respond, and soon Lloyd felt an invisible force pushing against his hands. Garmadon’s powers met Lloyd’s, in an effort to force Lloyd into finishing the job. Lloyd noticed this quickly and tugged back on the hilt, but it was of no use. Garmadon merely waved his hand forward, and Lloyd watched the blade run right through Violet.

She gave a small gasp, taking her last breath, and then she fell to the floor.

_Dead._

**Dead.**

**_ Dead. _ **

Lloyd dropped the sword instinctively, looking down at his own hands and then at his father’s. 

**“Don’t hesitate again,”** Garmadon warned, walking past Lloyd quickly. **“I’ve made my decision. Killow and Samukai will live, but only to serve another purpose that I have in mind.”**

Lloyd couldn’t respond – couldn’t even stop staring down at the dead body on the floor in front of him that _his_ own hands had caused. 

**“Now, go change your clothes and come back when you’re done. I’m sick of seeing that gi.”**

Lloyd looked down at his outfit, which had been messily stitched up by Seliel just that morning. “Yes, Father.”

Even as he walked away, it was as if Lloyd had never looked away from Violet’s body.

_Dead._

* * *

Wu was more than confused when he watched a flying ship land beside his Monastery. Now, this wasn’t the first time, as the _Misfortune’s Keep_ had been kept outside not long before, but this ship looked even more out of place when flying through the air.

Jay came out beside Wu to greet their visitors, but both of them had their suspicions of who it was.

Skylor walked out of the ship, alone. Ignoring Wu and Jay’s confused expressions, she walked up to them and folded her arms. “There’s been some complications.”

“Is it just you here?” Wu asked.

“No,” Skylor shook her head. “I’ve brought back the team you sent out,” she explained, referring to Kai, Cole, and Nya. 

“Then why aren’t they coming out?” Jay asked, already seeming suspicions of Skylor’s odd entrance.

“They probably want to kill me, even after I explained everything,” Skylor sighed. “Look, I also brought back Harumi, and they’re all safe and well. But...”

“Lloyd,” Wu stated, understanding what she was getting at. “He isn’t with you, is he?”

“No,” Skylor hung her head sadly.

“What did you do with him?” Jay demanded, and Skylor held up her hands.

“Alright, I’ve had _enough_ of people accusing me today, and for the record-“

“Skylor,” Wu cut in, but a look of sympathy overshadowed his features. “We believe you. Just...” Wu turned away for a moment, probably hiding a tear, and then waved Skylor inside. “Have the others come in, too. We’ll sit down with some tea."

Skylor winced. “Just give me a sec. This might take some struggle.”

The group all sat around Wu’s tea table for a while silently, exchanging different looks to different members of the group before Wu broke the silence by clanging the bottom of his teacup against the table’s surface. “Now, anyone mind explaining what has happened?”

“Lloyd had to make a difficult choice,” Skylor said. “In order to keep the rest of us safe-“

“Why are we even trusting what you say anymore?” Kai sputtered, nearly spilling all of the tea over.

“ _Kai_...” Wu sighed.

Rather than rolling her eyes or making a snarky remark like she normally did when Kai acted up, Skylor frowned sadly and looked down at the table. “I’m sorry, I really am. Wu, your nephew made a choice to...face his father, in order for us to escape.”

Wu lowered his eyes. “Oh.”

Harumi cleared her throat. “Do you think Garmadon will suspect that he’s changed? I mean, as long as Lloyd can act like his old self, he should be safe...right?”

Wu sighed. “I haven’t seen Garmadon in many years, and I have no idea what he is like now. But I do think that Lloyd is smart and has grown wiser over these past few weeks. If anyone was the safest staying behind to confront Garmadon, it was him. He knew that, and took the risk. You should _all_ be very grateful.”

“But we can’t give up on him!” Harumi added. “You’re saying this like he’s already dead.”

“I understand your worry for him, believe me. I want nothing more than to keep him _away_ from his father,” Wu nodded. “But trying to extricate him from Ninjago City would be nearly impossible. Even if we attempt anything, it’ll take much planning and...and I can’t risk losing any more of you.”

Nya smiled sadly. “We appreciate that, Sensei. But Lloyd’s our friend. He’s worth the risk.”

Kai nodded after some reluctance. “I may have hated the guy’s guts at first, but he’s really turned around. If staying behind so that we could escape isn’t enough to prove how much he’s changed, then I don’t know what will.”

Seliel shifted in her seat and spoke up at last. “I’m sorry, I feel very uninformed about...well...everything. Maybe I should go into the other room.”

“You’re fine, Seliel,” Cole assured her. “We appreciate your company. No one’s saying you have to attempt _anything_ with us.” Cole turned to Wu and continued. “Wu, this is Seliel, the daughter of the mayor of Nom. She helped us out a lot, and without her help, we may not have gotten Harumi back.”

Seliel gave a small smile but couldn’t help but wonder if Lloyd would have been safer in Ronin’s hands rather than Garmadon’s.

“It is nice to meet you, Seliel,” Wu nodded. “I would offer you a ride home, but Nom is very far, and I’m afraid that, if Garmadon is involved...”

“Then it’s too dangerous to go back right now,” Seliel finished for him. “I understand. Going back would only put my family at risk.”

“We have another guest room,” Cole offered quickly, getting a few weird looks from Nya and Kai. “What? No one else is using it.”

Wu decided not to reprimand Cole about offering a room of _his_ Monastery and simply told Seliel, “You can stay here as long as you like.” Sarcastically, he added, “It’s not like I don’t already have enough young adults running around in here.”

Nya laughed. “So you do have a sense of humor.”

“Thank you, Sensei Wu,” Seliel smiled. “I accept your offer. I promise not to get in your way or be a bother.”

“You won’t, I’m sure,” Wu smiled back.

After everyone got up from their seats and began putting the tea away, Skylor walked away down the hallway, and Harumi followed. As they reached the end, Harumi pushed past Skylor and pulled her along to her room, shutting the door behind them as they entered.

“They’re not going back for him,” Skylor summarized quickly. “At least, not for a while.”

“So, our deal is still on, right?” Harumi asked, seemingly unfazed by all of the dangers and warnings they’d been given. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are. We can even leave tonight. No one would expect us to come back for Lloyd so soon.”

Skylor shrugged. “I guess it’s as good as any time. Either way, we’re gonna have a heck of a challenge trying to sneak in and find him.” Skylor looked more intently at Harumi for a moment, and then sighed. “I still can’t believe you talked me into this.”

Harumi waved that off, moving to her bed to pack her things. “I’m bringing plenty of food, as well as some extra clothes. I know it goes without saying, but I think we’ll have to grab a weapon for me to defend myself with. I’ve never used one, but I think it’ll be necessary.”

Skylor nodded. “I taught you how to dance, didn’t I? I think I can teach you how to use a sword well enough.”

Harumi scoffed. “You mean when you forced me to practice dancing around in your room for hours so I could please your dad well enough?”

“Like I said then, it wasn’t my choice for you to be his servant girl,” Skylor shrugged. “I just figured that if he was gonna force you to dance, then you might as well look more convincing.”

Harumi rolled her eyes, and then turned back to her bag. “Thanks.”

They both sat across from each other in silence for a while, packing a few essential items and wondering how much trouble they were gonna get in for this.

“We’ll need disguises,” Skylor said finally, cutting through the silence. “Despite being pretty popular in the criminal world, my face won’t be recognizable to the civilian eye, but it never hurts to be careful. You, on the other hand...”

Harumi shrugged. “Whenever I was ever in public, I wore full makeup all over my face and my hair was held up by a metal crown. Trust me, being in Stiix or Nom with my actual face so visible felt kinda weird.”

“Gotcha,” Skylor nodded, “but, again, I want us to be careful. _Especially_ you. Lloyd’s already gonna be yelling at me when he sees that I brought you along, and I’d rather he be the _only_ one who notices. Now that I think about it...do you still have that kimono my dad had you wear on the island? The black and red one?”

Harumi appeared confused but she nodded and walked over to her closet, pulling out the kimono Skylor was talking about. “I only kept it because I have very few clothes here to begin with. Still fits pretty well, I guess. Why? Am I playing the part of _your_ servant girl now?”

Skylor shook her head. “No, we’re both gonna play the parts of upper city civilians.” She scrunched her nose at the image. “All of those stingy rich people who act like nothing ever happened to Ninjago cuz they’re drowning in enough cash to keep their mouths shut.”

Harumi raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” Then her expression changed. “Oh, yes, I’m afraid I know all to well who you’re talking about. Being the princess meant attending a ton of my father’s meetings with some of those people. You, uh...you think I can play the part?”

“You’re rich and beautiful,” Skylor snorted. “Take it as a compliment, Princess. I’ll put on my kimono and we’ll just walk into the city like we never left. We’ll take the _Bounty_ in the morning, just so we can be sure that Wu will keep the others safe while we’re gone.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Oh, that part _is_ easy. Its how we’re gonna break Lloyd out that I’m worried about.”

Harumi nodded and after a moment, she raised her eyebrow again and asked, “Wait, your idea of disguising a princess is by making her stand out with an expensive kimono?”

“My plan is for us both to _blend in_ ,” Skylor countered. “The only ones who can _afford_ to live in the city anymore all look the same. I assume you might remember some important characteristics to imitate?”

Harumi grinned. “Mainly just attending fancy parties and living in comfort.”

Skylor sighed. “You’re lucky I’ve got a good amount of cash on me.”

* * *

In the early morning, before the sun had fully risen, Harumi and Skylor made their move. Sneaking out had been rather easy – Harumi’s bedroom was close to one of the back doors, and everyone inside the Monastery was fast asleep. Wu had basically told the group that they’d wait there and not bother moving to a different location unless they had reason to believe Garmadon found them. Skylor couldn’t blame him – it seemed that someone from the group would be lost anytime they moved to a different location.

That’s why she felt slightly guilty as she pulled Harumi out into the cold air and hurried over to the deck of the _Bounty._ The team had just gotten Harumi back, and now here the princess was, willingly running away again in an effort to bring back the one member of the team who hadn’t made it back home. Skylor couldn’t help but admire Harumi’s spirit and desire to help, but she knew that she was just giving Wu and the ninja even more reason to not trust her. Hopefully Lloyd could at least speak for her when they bring him back home. Maybe he could at least say enough on her behalf to keep Kai from trying to burn her alive.

Skylor grinned at the thought. Making Kai mad was – despite becoming quite repetitive at this point – a lot of fun. She would have found the Fire Ninja’s persistence sort of adorable if he wasn’t so _violent_ about it. 

And then, speak of the devil...

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kai’s accusing voice called out, and Skylor and Harumi both nearly jumped in surprise. Kai folded his arms impatiently and repeated, “What are you _doing_ with Princess Harumi, huh?”

Before Skylor could respond, Harumi stepped in front of her. “Kai, it’s okay. I’m doing this of my own choice. Skylor isn’t forcing me into anything.”

Kai blinked. “Is that true?”

Skylor nodded.

“You’re going after Lloyd then, I’m assuming?” Kai didn’t sound accusing anymore. Now he just sounded sad, and a little curious.

“He’s our friend,” Harumi nodded. “He willingly gave himself up to his father so we could escape. But we can’t let him be trapped in that fortress for the rest of his life. What if Garmadon finds out he was helping us? He might _kill_ him.”

“Lloyd can stand on his own,” Kai argued. “I want to get him back to, but there’s no way you’re doing it alone. I say we wait until we’re _ready_ to strike on the city, and we save Lloyd _then,_ before we go and fight Garmadon together.”

Skylor had to hand it to him. He had a point. “I get it, Kai. But, let’s be honest. After we just seem to keep losing time and time again, and barely even making it out alive, do you really expect that Wu’s _ever_ going to allow us to carry out our attack? You were supposed to do it with _Lloyd_ as your leader.”

“We just got back,” Kai sighed. “We’ll come up with _something_ to get around that. For now, it’s safer that we lay low and not expose ourselves.”

“You’ve trained for this,” Skylor narrowed her eyes. “You can’t tell me that you’re gonna give it all up and go into hiding now. If that were the case, you and your sister would be better off running back to your little blacksmith shop, is that right?”

Kai frowned angrily, but said nothing. 

“Well?” Skylor asked.

“You’re right,” Kai said at last. “About getting Lloyd back. He might not have long, but...but you’re just two people. And the _last_ person you should be taking is the princess who doesn’t even have any powers.”

“You’re welcome to come along,” Skylor shrugged.

“What?”

“I said it. You can come with us. If it’ll help your conscience, you can tag along and make sure nothing goes wrong.” Skylor began to smirk. “Besides, I could use another elemental beside me, just in case. I mean, you’re no _Lloyd_ , not by a _long_ shot, but-“

“I get it,” Kai grumbled. “I don’t know...I’d be ditching the others. What if Garmadon finds them while we’re gone?”

“As soon as he notices his son’s been broken out, he won’t be focusing on them,” Skylor said. “We’ll have to rely on brute strength and speed to get back out of the city, but it’ll work. I have a good feeling about this.”

Harumi gave Kai a sly smile. “So...you in?”

Kai nodded, but then began shaking his head at Harumi in disbelief. “I _never_ would have expected the princess of Ninjago to be so...”

“Reckless?” Harumi asked. “Daring? Impulsive? Yes, I’m just as surprised as you are.”

Kai took a deep breath. “You know, I’m risking a _lot_ by trusting you.” He gave Skylor a meaningful look. “Actually, it makes me feel better to say I’m trusting Harumi on this one.”

“Whatever you gotta tell yourself, hothead.”


	30. Call Her

Lloyd stood and watched as Killow and Samukai were dispatched to another village to search for the ninja. Lloyd clenched his right fist and found himself feeling guilt for both his friends and for the two warriors, funnily enough. Regardless of his father’s involvement, Ultra Violet had died at Lloyd’s hand, and the bizarre woman had been the closest thing to a friend that Killow ever had. Samukai was an interesting story – in fact, Lloyd had only personally met a few other Skulkin and wasn’t sure if companionship really meant anything to him – but he clearly had been shaken by Violet’s violent death as well.

It had been a long time since Lloyd had claimed a kill – even longer since the blood had spilled onto his hands and he was left looking at the body discarded on the floor. Nothing about Lloyd’s old life felt right anymore, and he desperately hoped that he wouldn’t have to kill anyone for his father again. 

Lloyd wondered if Skylor had ever felt this way. She too had been sent out to kill her own father’s enemies. Did she ever feel so much guilt about it? Did she ever wish she could take it all back, or that she hadn’t had to watch the life leave the victim’s body? There was a time when Lloyd wouldn’t assume anything so _soft_ of her, but times had changed, and so had both of _them_.

Lloyd finally turned on his heel and began walking back inside the fortress, and his bodyguards followed close behind. Lloyd had _insisted_ that this kind of ‘babysitting’ was pointless, but Garmadon always had the final word. These four Skulkin, all covered up in pitch black armor, followed Lloyd wherever he went, except for his quarters, in which they stood guard outside his door. 

As he approached the armory, desperate for an opportunity to slip away behind a pile of axes, Lloyd peered around before shaking the idea off. Garmadon’s fortress was designed to perfection; there wouldn’t be any errors or flaws in the building’s design that Lloyd could exploit for his escape. He looked back at his bodyguards for a moment, and then sighed. “I’ll retire to my quarters now.”

One of the Skulkin shifted confusedly, and Lloyd could hear his bones lightly rub against each other as he did. “The Emperor has ordered you to remain in the main halls until told otherwise.”

Lloyd raised a brow. “Really? Why’s that?”

**“Because I don’t want you trying to avoid this conversation,”** Garmadon explained as he came up behind Lloyd. His four arms were clasped behind his back, but his frown was still ever present. **“As you said, the thieves were not found at Nom.”**

“Alright...so what’s the catch?”

**“After checking the transport log at the harbor, I deduced that they must have taken a flying vessel across the sea.”** Garmadon paused thoughtfully. **“A flying _pirate_ ship, but not like the one that Captain Walker used to escape my warriors. They’ll stick out like a sore thumb if they’re still in the air.”**

Lloyd watched Garmadon’s face for some sort of clue to his intentions, but found nothing that he could read. “But this isn’t your conversation you wanted me to wait for, is it?”

Garmadon shook his head. **“No. You said that a lot had happened. _What_ happened? I’m guessing by your sudden questioning of my rule that the thieves had something to do with it.”**

Lloyd stepped back defensively. “I...”

**“They’ve deceived you into doubting me, Lloyd. For that, their reckoning will come. But why don’t you explain _everything?_ You were with them for weeks. You should be able to tell me a bit about each of them, I imagine.” **He glared down at Lloyd for a moment before looking away. **“I also think there’s a possibility that you _know_ where they fled to, and you haven’t told me.”**

“Dad, look-“

**“And where did the gi come from?”** The question came quickly as another detail came to Garmadon’s memory. **“I never taught you the ways of ninja.”**

Lloyd looked down at his new outfit – the black and dark purple robes with battle armor over his torso and gauntlets on his wrists. He hadn’t exactly missed this. He’d actually come to prefer the light, breathable material that made his gi.

“Dad, there’s a lot that happened, and I know it’ll be a lot to take in, but you _must_ trust me.”

Garmadon gave no sound of reassurance.

“When I was captured by Captain Walker in the city, I had nearly completed my mission. I nearly had Princess Harumi, but several other people were there, each with their own motivations.”

**“The thieves.”**

Lloyd winced. “No, they weren’t thieves. Walker kidnapped them, too. He was the only one who _stole_ anything.”

**“But these _others_ wanted to steal the princess away before you could bring her to the fortress,” **Garmadon argued.

“Their intentions checked out,” Lloyd tried his best to wave it off. “They just wanted the princess to be kept safe.”

**“Then they were against you _and_ me.”**

“I guess you could see it that way...”

**“What of Chen’s daughter? Skylor?”** Garmadon nearly spat the name out, shaking his head in disappointment. **“I’m more than glad that my warriors managed to kill my longtime foe, but his daughter has grown even more powerful than him, I suppose.”**

“She was against _all_ of us,” Lloyd shook his head. “Eventually, she tricked Walker and we were all captured and enslaved by Chen. Some of the others were forced to work in the factory, while I...” Lloyd glanced down at his wrists, which had once been covered in scars. “...I was dragged around for Chen’s amusement.”

Garmadon almost looked sympathetic for a moment. “And the princess?”

“She was a slave, too. Forced to stay by Chen’s side whenever she wasn’t kept locked up in a cell.”

**“He took pleasure in flaunting around the prisoners who were rightfully mine.”** Garmadon snarled. **“Now, get back to the main point. What possessed you to question my authority?”** Garmadon got right in Lloyd’s face then, forcing his son to take another couple of steps backward.

Lloyd wanted to choose his words carefully. To say it in the least harmful way possible. To avoid a beating as much as possible. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that kind of time.

“Like I said, I saw Ninjago’s people. I saw the conditions they’re in. Maybe, if you opened yourself to their input, you could better provide them with whatever they need. You don’t _have_ to give them reason to see you as a monster.”

Lloyd could almost hear something snap.

**“Is that what _you_ see me as?” **Garmadon had his back turned, and Lloyd was almost relieved not to have to face whatever angry, teeth-barred expression was there. 

Lloyd couldn’t lie. Not like this. On his eleventh birthday, he’d lied to Garmadon about a small cake he’d bought for himself. His punishment involved sitting in a den of Skulkin for two full days.

“...in the very least, I’ve begun to see why _they_ see you that way,” Lloyd spoke slowly, almost unwillingly. “You’ve had me lead soldiers into battle for you countless times. I’ve taken cities and killed leaders without ever knowing the significance of my victory. You never told _me_ why you had me do all of that. You only ever told me not to doubt you.”

**“And look how well that turned out, hmm?”**

“Well...well, now I _do_ doubt you.” Lloyd swallowed hard and watched as Garmadon still didn’t move before continuing. “Maybe I _was_ captured. Maybe Captain Walker _does_ deserve to pay for the crimes he’s committed. But he deserves a fair trial with an impartial judge. We haven’t had that...well... _ever_. At least, not since you kicked out the Emperor and Empress.”

Garmadon turned on his heel and yelled, **“I _am_ the Emperor! Don’t address them like they still _matter._ Once _you_ kill that foolish princess, than there won’t be any fleeting _reminder_ of them left.”**

Lloyd shook his head defiantly. “I won’t kill her. She’s done nothing wrong and the throne is rightfully hers.”

Garmadon’s eyes widened in anger and disbelief, as if he hadn’t expected Lloyd’s rebellion to grow any larger. **“You dare claim that the throne isn’t mine?”**

“It’s not. You stole it.”

There was a very long, very painful and agonizing silence before Garmadon walked back up to Lloyd and stared at him long and hard. He seemed to be looking for something, but he quickly stopped. **“I see you’ve become quite opinionated in your absence.”**

Lloyd’s heart was racing, but he managed to continue to feign confidence under his father’s cold stare. “I had to stop being a drone eventually. For once, I’m thinking for myself."

Garmadon laughed, then, to Lloyd’s surprise. **“Perhaps I won’t hate this side of you after all. It could be quite amusing.”**

“No...no, Dad, you need to take this seriously!”

**“I have considered everything you’ve told me. So far, I can only agree with you on one thing: you _can_ think for yourself now. You’re no longer a boy, Lloyd. I cannot punish you for having an opinion. But...” **Garmadon narrowed his eyes, **“...I am still your Emperor, and I will not have treasonous ideas brought before me. For instance – keeping Princess Harumi _alive_ is a mistake. I doubt she’s been plotting of anything other than taking the throne from me for years.”**

Lloyd couldn’t help but smirk at the thought. _After what she told me? She may have dreamt of it, but she’s definitely not in any rush to take over._

Lloyd thought back to his old plan. His selfish, stupid plan that he’d come up with in that dungeon with Harumi. He had wanted to bring Harumi back here by his side. He’d expected Garmadon to give him the thumbs up to let Harumi stay at the _fortress_ , of all places. Had he really wanted this kind of gloomy, uncomfortable future for her?

Lloyd was realizing more than ever that, had he gone through with his plan, Garmadon would have sooner ripped Harumi from his son’s arms and killed her instantly than let her live among him.

**“So,”** Garmadon pressed, pulling Lloyd from his thoughts. **“With this new understanding in mind, I’m open to suggestions and ideas. As you’re growing older, I fully expect that you’ll have a wild imagination for this world’s future. When I am certain that I can trust you,”** Garmadon emphasized, **“then I can also be certain that my rule will be properly continued through you after I have passed.”**

Lloyd shifted awkwardly. _Oh, so this is what Harumi meant about feeling the promise of the throne balancing on your shoulders._

“Yes, Father.”

**“Good. Now, _do_ you know where the thieves have gone?”**

Lloyd lied, not skipping a beat. “No.”

**“Then tell me about them,”** Garmadon moved past his initial question instantly, clearly feeling content with Lloyd’s answer for now.

“Well, they’re all pretty interesting...”

* * *

After dropping off Ronin at a bar, Skylor took the controls of the _Bounty_ and piloted it back into the sky, looking down at the deck where Harumi was watching the ground over the side. The princess had been silent most of the trip, and spent most of the journey watching objects quickly fade away into the distance one by one. Skylor shook her head in disbelief and turned back to her piloting, only briefly hearing the door open behind her as Kai entered the control room.

“I think I should make a call,” he said simply, and Skylor turned on her heel to face him.

“A call?”

“Yes,” Kai nodded. “I should call someone back at the Monastery...tell them that we’re at least all together and they shouldn’t worry.”

Skylor shrugged. “Fine by me, just as long as you don’t cause them to chase after us or something stupid like that.”

“I know, I know,” Kai sighed. “Who should I call? Sensei?”

“Does it really matter which person you call if you want them all to know?”

“Maybe it’s best that...that Sensei doesn’t know. I should call just one person. One person I can trust to know the truth but only tell the others if absolutely necessary. Knowing Nya, she’d probably try coming after me the minute I tell her.”

“Nya should be the one,” Skylor cut in, taking Kai by surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“Nya should be the one,” Skylor repeated, placing a hand on her hip. “If she’s the one who would care the most, then call her.”

Kai looked down at the cell phone in his hand for a few moments before looking back at Skylor in wonder. “You do realize I just told you why I _shouldn’t_ call her, right?”

“Is your sister good at taking orders?”

Kai laughed. “Not at all.”

“Is she good at keeping promises, then?”

Kai opened his mouth, but then closed it before answering, “As far as I know, she’s always stayed true to her word, at least to people she knows.”

“Then she won’t come after us,” Skylor nodded, still confusing Kai a bit, but she got her point across. “Call her and ask her to promise not to interfere or tell anyone where we’re really going unless she has no choice."

Kai sighed. “Fine. Is it alright if I take the call in here? I still haven’t gotten the other rooms cleaned out yet, and they all stink of algae and seawater.”

“Knock yourself out,” Skylor rolled her eyes and turned back to the controls.

Kai took a seat on a bench along the back wall and quickly came across the only saved contact that he’d put on this new phone. He and Cole had finally gotten around to picking up two phones – one for the Monastery and one for travel. 

The dial clicked and Nya’s voice crackled through. ~~ _“Who is this?”~~_

He grinned. “Nya, it’s me.”

Kai could hear an audible gasp and then a sound of anger before Nya responded. _“Kai, where in the world_ are _you???”_

“You’re gonna call me a hypocrite, but...I’m trusting Skylor for once. Kinda.” Kai looked up to see Skylor give him an unamused glance before she returned to the wheel. “Princess Harumi’s with us, too.” _“Kai, I swear- wait, you took the ship, didn’t you?”_

“The _Bounty_? Yeah. Wasn’t my idea – they were already halfway out the door when I caught up to them.”

_“Mind telling me why you guys just randomly decided to take an evening flight? Sensei is beyond frustrated, you know.”_

“Yeah, I figured he would be.”

_“Where are you going?”_

Kai gulped, then looked up to see Skylor giving him a reassuring smile – _wait, a smile? That can’t be right_ – and then he spoke. “Ninjago City. We’re gonna get Lloyd back.”

There was a long silence and Nya didn’t say anything over the phone for a while. _“You’re crazy.”_

“Yeah, I know. Once again, wasn’t my idea.”

_“You’re gonna get killed, Kai. The second you enter that city, someone is going to recognize you, and you’ll get arrested and taken to see Garmadon, and then Lloyd will have to be there to see you get beheaded and-“_

“Nya. It’s not as bad as all that.”

_“Oh, really?”_

“Really. Listen, we’re planning this out, alright? I’m sure there’s more ideas that Skylor is coming up with by the second.”

Skylor let out a small, sarcastic laugh.

_“I aught to rent a plane or something and chase after you.”_

Kai groaned. This was the problem he was trying to avoid. “Nya, I need you to promise me that you won’t chase after me. Or tell the others. Especially Wu.”

_“Can you sound any more_ insane _right now, Kai?”_

“Look, I’m already in this too deep, alright? Getting any of the rest of you guys involved would make things messy.”

_“You know what? Fine. You were the one who was so hesitant about becoming a ninja, and now here you are jumping into fights without a full team. You’re an adult, and I guess I just have to watch your stupid decisions from a distance now.”_

“Nya, you’re taking this too-“

_“Too what? Too far? That’s funny coming from you.”_

“I’m serious, Nya. Don’t come after me.”

_“You think I would?”_

“Nya-“

_“No, no, go on and have your fun, Kai. I’ve tried all my life to knock some sense into you, but clearly, as your younger sister, my opinion means nothing.”_

Kai looked to Skylor for help, who was just hearing the conversation with an amused grin.

Nya continued. _“Yeah, I’ll stay here and make sure no one goes after you. I’ll still have to tell them where you’re going, though.”_

“Fine with me.”

_“Fine.”_

The call suddenly ended, and Kai glumly slid his phone back into his pocket. “Well, that didn’t go as well as I hoped.”

“She’s clearly a woman who speaks her mind,” Skylor nodded. “It can be annoying, yeah, but at least she’s not keeping things from you.”

Kai thought to the odd relationship between his sister and Jay and shook his head. “For the most part, maybe. She means well. She’s just being a good sister and looking out for me.”

Skylor didn’t have much to say to that, and turned her attention back to the open sky as she switched the controls to autopilot. “I don’t have any siblings, so I can’t really relate.”

Kai frowned. “So it was just your parents?”

“One parent,” Skylor corrected him. “My mother is just...gone. I don’t know.”

Kai gulped. “Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I really don’t care.” Skylor shrugged, still watching the sky, and Kai earned the confidence to step a bit closer to her.

“I think you _do_ ,” Kai challenged.

Skylor whipped her head around to shoot him a weird glance. “Excuse me?”

“I lost my parents, too,” Kai said. “But you already knew that.” He was referring to their first meeting when Skylor had made fun of Kai and Nya’s orphanage, and they had shot insults right back. Now, after all they’d been through, Kai felt somewhat bad about that, and he wondered if Skylor felt the same. “Just because I don’t remember them all that well doesn’t mean I don’t miss them. You only ever knew your father, and while he was a pompous jerk, he was still family.”

Skylor’s eyes shot down to the floor and she stiffened. “I’d rather not talk about him.”

“That’s the problem,” Kai pointed out. “I was the same way; I would refuse to talk or acknowledge anything about my parents because it hurt too much to accept the truth.”

Skylor looked back at Kai again, this time with a much more neutral expression, and asked, “And what was the truth?”

“They loved me once,” Kai shrugged. “Even though I wasn’t old enough to know it. I had to be strong for myself and for my sister, so I tried my hardest to love her like...” Kai tripped over his words for a second, catching himself, “...like I imagine my parents loved me. At least, then, one of us got something close to what that feels like.”

Skylor blinked. “That’s...really kind.”

Kai nearly laughed. “Well, y’know...I’m not _always_ a hotheaded mess like Nya might tell people.”

Skylor smiled. “I guess not. Anyway, we’ve got to go over this plan, because I didn’t originally intend for you to be joining me.”

Kai smiled back. Maybe this crazy assassin woman from a remote island that had kicked his butt just a few hours before wasn’t as bad as he thought. 


	31. Dinner and Wounds

“Eat your fries, Princess,” Skylor ordered as she pointed to the unwrapped food that sat in front of Harumi. “I brought them over here minutes ago, and you haven’t touched anything.”

The Princess suddenly made a very uncharacteristically angry sigh, and folded her arms. Her head turned to look out the window, and waited before speaking. “I’m not hungry. I mean, how can I eat? Nothing about our surroundings makes me feel safe.”

“This place?” Kai looked confused. “This is the best hamburger joint in the whole city. Nya and I come here all the time.”

Skylor cleared her throat. “I thought you were both basically poor.”

“We had enough to buy food,” Kai rolled his eyes.

“Why do I suddenly see you as the kind of guy who would take a seat in here just to use the free Wi-Fi?” Skylor grinned, giving Kai another one of those strange _happy_ looks. He was still shocked she hadn’t yelled at him yet since they left the Monastery. 

Kai thought for a moment. “Alright, you’re not wrong, but-“

“I’m right,” Skylor sat back again, allowing herself to relax. “You’ve already revealed it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You’re terrible at covering anything up. Whenever you react to something, your face goes like…this.” Skylor then scrunched her face a bit, basically moving her whole face up and then back down. “Your eyes widen for just a second and then you try to blow it off.”

“Is that all part of your job description?” Kai asked. “You’re able to memorize how people’s _faces_ work?”

“Maybe,” Skylor shrugged. “It’s probably just because you’re so obvious, though.” 

Kai didn’t respond, and the table grew silent for a while. This was how most conversations ended during the whole trip onboard the _Bounty_. There would be one last word spoken (usually Skylor’s) and then they’d respect each other’s peace and enjoy the quiet. Neither of the three knew each other all that well either, which played a part in the awkward silence.

Harumi still appeared concerned or even disturbed, but she didn’t voice her worries. The Princess had let her white hair fall down as freely as possible, managing to hide some of her face behind her bangs. Skylor agreed that it would help with avoiding the possibility of being recognized, but Harumi’s hidden face also hid her feelings from Skylor and Kai.

“We need to get a move on,” she said at last, standing to her feet. Harumi placed her hands on her hips with a look that said, ‘I mean business’ and neither of her partners thought it best to argue with her. 

“It was a crappy burger anyway,” Skylor mumbled as she tossed the wrapper – containing half of her meal – into a trash can beside the table.

“I resent that,” Kai shot back.

* * *

Lloyd had seen his father do terrible things. That was a no-brainer. Lloyd was pretty sure no one on Earth had a more evil father than he did. He’d stood and watched his father kill, steal, destroy, torture, burn villages…

Coupled with watching Ultra Violet be killed terribly right in front of him – a kill that Garmadon was willingly trying to give to Lloyd – the current situation was seeming worse and worse. Lloyd had given himself up to keep the others safe with his only reassurance being a small hope that he could get through to his father and resolve things peacefully.

Lloyd was pretty bad at all that, and it was beginning to show. Being taught to be selfish your whole life didn’t prepare Lloyd for the point when he’d finally attempt a different approach. He’d lay on his bed restlessly for hours, angered by the thought that he’d never be able to make a difference.

Not here. Not where Lloyd had to uphold a reputation for Garmadon and for all of Ninjago that he no longer wanted. Yes, it felt good to be back in power, but it hurt more that, even at the highest authority, Lloyd couldn’t change anything. He was almost certain now that Garmadon would be reviewing any actions Lloyd took on the army or the people’s living situations. Their argument from the day before was certainly enough to raise Garmadon’s suspicion.

…

Lloyd was in the shower again. It seemed to be the only place he could ever think privately while in the Monastery, and now it was the only place that was small enough in Garmadon’s large, near-empty fortress where Lloyd didn’t feel awkward. The deafening silence as he walked the halls was enough to cause Lloyd to long even for Kai and Cole’s bickering, for Wu’s frustrated orders, for Harumi or Skylor or _someone._

It was hard to believe now that, just a few weeks ago, Lloyd would have been more than willing to betray them all, claim Harumi for his own, and return to his father with pride.

The hot, running water poured down Lloyd’s body everywhere. Over and past his broad shoulders, down his torso, and even through his blonde locks so streams of water could drizzle down his face. Lloyd found himself hugging himself after a while, which he usually did when he was cold, not while steaming hot water came pouring down onto his back. 

As Lloyd eventually brought himself to run the soap between his hands and then over his arms, he was reminded of the cuts and scars. The bandage on his shoulder had been removed just the day before, when Lloyd had received his new clothes, and the bandage on the leg had come off before that. Even still, the wounds weren’t _fully_ healed, and Lloyd could almost still feel the Phantom Dragon piercing its talons into his skin again as he ran his fingers over his shoulder gingerly. 

Garmadon had seen the wound on the shoulder. He’d practically watched as Lloyd peeled off the bandage. Lloyd had winced at the sight, requesting for someone to look at it, but Garmadon pushed him like he always had. He’d never cared before when Lloyd got hurt. Why would he now, especially when he might think his own son has plotted to betray him?

 _I ruined my relationship with my father by pursuing a different life with people I’ve hardly know for a month or so,_ Lloyd thought to himself. _I was living it – on the run, yes – but I was living it. Now I’ve thrown it all away and willingly trapped myself here._

_I’m the one who gets nothing out of this._

_Maybe Dad finds this all amusing._

The tempting idea to simply return to normal life as supreme commander was still lingering in Lloyd’s mind, but he knew it would never be the same. He’d still have the lives of all of his new friends on his conscience, constantly worrying that search parties would get too close and eventually find them. No matter how hard he tried to obey his father’s every whim and pretend that nothing had changed, Lloyd would still never be back to normal.

* * *

It was at dinner that Lloyd started really weighing his options – really making a plan for escape or for servitude. Lloyd sat quietly at his place at the long, grey table, seated across from his father who was slowly digesting the turkey. His blood red eyes were fixated on his plate, but they’d occasionally shift left or right to quickly glance around the room.

 _I’m powerful enough,_ Lloyd assured himself. _If I just waited for Dad to go to bed, I could take out the guards at one of the posts and run off._

_Run to who? The team? Harumi? The whole purpose of staying behind was to make sure Dad would never find them. If I ran off, he’d make finding me again his highest priority, and he’d be led right to the others._

An unpleasant thought crossed Lloyd’s mind as he fidgeted with his fork. _The only reason you’d be highest priority is because you’d be defying him. Not because he cares about you._

Lloyd raised his eyes to look over at Garmadon. The dark figure was still not paying attention to him, continuing to down his food. A series of emotions swelled in Lloyd.

_Hate. Anger. Sadness._

What kind of a father _was_ this monster?

Finally, Garmadon looked up to meet Lloyd’s eyes, and Lloyd realized how much he wished that the plate had held his attention. Garmadon quickly noticed his son’s angry expression and frowned. **“Something is bothering you?”**

Lloyd took a deep breath. “Yeah. I wouldn’t expect you to care if I told you, so I won’t.”

Garmadon made a small noise from the back of his throat. **“Try me.”**

Lloyd looked at him with bewilderment. What would he tell him? Certainly not that he was just scheming ways to run away.

Garmadon frowned further at Lloyd’s silence and then took some turkey into his mouth. After swallowing, he continued. “ **You’ve changed more than I had noticed recently.”**

Lloyd fought the urge to scoff. _Yeah, you think?_

 **“You’ve got a different look on your face now,”** Garmadon went on, almost squinting at Lloyd. **“You seem more thoughtful. More calculating. And let’s not forget your _interesting_ opinions you seem to have developed for yourself.”**

Lloyd was still watching Garmadon intently, searching for a catch. “I was away for a while, Dad.” Lloyd tried to shrug it off. “Plus, I’m not a kid anymore. I’m grown up.”

“ **That’s what I was getting at,”** Garmadon nodded. **“You’re a man now, Lloyd. I believe that, with that, comes new responsibility and privileges.”**

Lloyd cocked a brow. “What do you mean by that?”

 **“You seem very interested in the people of Ninjago,”** Garmadon pointed out. **“I thought about what you said, and I’ve decided to take some of your ideas to mind. But, I’m not the one who will be enacting any changes. It will be you.”**

“You’re giving me a new job?” Lloyd asked skeptically.

 **“You will be in charge of _everything_ having to do with the people. Living situations, business, commerce, advertisement…” **Garmadon laughed to himself. **“I always hated that stuff anyway.”**

“So…I can make any changes I want?” Lloyd asked. He hated how selfish that question sounded, but it meant there might be hope for the civilians yet.

 **“Yes, essentially,”** Garmadon nodded. **“Any orders of particular significance will be reported back to me just so I can review them, but that’s only as a precaution. With so much power over the people at once, it may be difficult to make the best decisions at first.”**

Lloyd’s eyes widened and he nodded his head slowly. “This…this is not what I was expecting.”

**“The people’s wellbeing may not be my greatest concern, but it seems to be one of yours. That’s why I’ve decided to find some middle ground and hand that over to you.”**

Lloyd was excited and terrified at the same time. This was instantly tearing away his plans to escape, while also giving him something better to do. What would he have done after escaping anyway? He couldn’t have run back to his uncle, not back to where the others were, so where would he go? Lloyd’s mother had been absent from his life for as long as he could remember.

“I’ll take the job,” Lloyd answered at last.

“ **It wasn’t an offer, but** **alright,”** Garmadon made an amused sound before turning back to his plate. **“Now eat before it all gets cold.”**

Lloyd nodded and took a forkful into his mouth, but not before he glanced down at his wrist. The cuts that were there still stung, and moving the fork around only irritated the skin more. Lloyd decided to hold the fork in his other hand, but his awkward movements with it caught Garmadon’s attention.

**“What are you doing?”**

“I need to use the restroom,” Lloyd blurted quickly before rising from his chair and rushing out the door, heading off to his bedroom instead.

* * *

“Please work, please work, please work,” Lloyd whispered to himself over and over. He was seated at the end of his bed, with his legs folded and his wrist held up for him to see. He’d hovered his hand over it numerous times, exerting a little of his elemental power, but it had so far produced only negative effect.

He’d done it on other people. Why wouldn’t it work for him?

He held his wrist completely now, closing his eyes to focus. The green energy made a small sound as it spread over his skin, and Lloyd bit his lip at the sudden pain that came with the first attempt. 

“Alright, Lloyd, just…take it slow.”

_Why am I talking to myself?_

After a few more moments of soft, gentle touches, the skin on Lloyd’s wrist had begun to heal. It was an odd sensation to feel the skin forming itself back together, leaving no reminder of the cuts, but when Lloyd opened his eyes to watch, it was even stranger.

Finally, Lloyd was satisfied with his work, and he let go. The power dissipated.

Lloyd found himself smiling for a moment, looking his wrist over and over. It didn’t take very long for his mind to wander and he looked over at his shoulder thoughtfully.

_I could fix that too, right?_

**“Since when have you been able to do that?”** Garmadon’s voice boomed behind him. Lloyd sprang to his feet instinctively and raised one leg in a swift kick, which Garmadon narrowly dodged. **“Once again, I see more evidence that you’ve been learning the ways of a ninja.”** He didn’t look disappointed or angry, but he did look rather confused. **“I never taught you to kick like that. Were my lessons not sufficient?”**

Lloyd wasn’t sure how to respond, but he spoke anyway. “It’s just something that I picked up. It doesn’t hurt to have some extra skills handy.”

Garmadon blinked. **“I suppose so…”** His tall figure soon entered Lloyd’s room further, as if he was looking for something. He continued to scan the room before shaking his head and turning back to Lloyd. His hands were folded behind his back. **“Your wrist. You healed it?”**

Lloyd raised his arm for Garmadon to see. “Yes, it’s, uh…something I learned recently.”

Garmadon raised his own arm, but only to engulf it in his own – darker – energy. The purple flames illuminated Lloyd’s dimly lit room. **“Healing is a trick I didn’t learn until I was at least your age. I’m impressed.”**

“You can do it too?”

**“Don’t be foolish, Lloyd. Your power has only reflected my own since you were first able to use it. While it may be different in appearance, it is very similar in effect.”**

Lloyd shifted nervously. “So I can even create a stone colossus, like the one you send into battle?”

 **“If you really are at that point, yes,”** Garmadon shrugged. **“Whatever I have achieved with my own power, I’m certain you could do the same with yours.”**

Lloyd thought long and hard on that. 

_I could be as powerful as him._

_I could summon all of this newfound strength and use it against him._

The idea was insane and entirely rebellious, but he had a feeling it could work. If only Skylor could hear what he was planning. She’d be so jealous-

 **“Why do you ask?”** Garmadon called Lloyd from his thoughts.

“I was just thinking that maybe with a colossus or even an entirely different creature, I could survey the people of the city quicker,” Lloyd lied through his teeth. “Maybe a dragon?” The creature had popped into his head almost randomly, partly due to him remembering he still hadn’t attempted to heal his shoulder.

**“If it will help, then go right ahead. I’ll show you how to conjure it tomorrow. Then you can ride it into the city and show the people that this band of rebels and thieves changes nothing. True power will always control them. You will be a symbol of that.”**

Lloyd tried his hardest to act like he agreed with every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one had a lot of Lloyd and Garmadon, but the next one will focus on the others back at the Monastery where Jay, Cole, and Seliel get used to having two nindroids around the house while Nya flips out about Kai leaving.


	32. The White Ninja

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a lighthearted "fun" chapter before we get back to the intense stuff lol.

“So, tell me your names again?” Seliel asked, pulling one of the chairs away from the table so she could sit across from the two androids. Cole had decided to join in on this conversation as well, and he stood with his back against the window and his arms folded.

“I am Zane,” the shiny one answered in a kind voice, and then his blue eyes flickered over to his companion. “And this is Pixal.”

“Lloyd mentioned something about Skylor finding them in a lighthouse,” Cole added some information to the list for Seliel, who nodded quietly.

“That was my father’s home,” Zane said, smiling sadly. “He passed away five years ago, but Pixal and I still managed to make do with what we had. However, I do not feel sad about leaving the lighthouse behind.”

“Neither do I,” Pixal admitted, and she revealed that she had a metal object in her hands. She was peering down at it in wonder. “The outside world is filled with so many wonderful things.”

“That’s a toaster,” Cole snorted.

“Did your father not have a toaster?” Seliel asked.

“He did not have a variety of foods, unfortunately,” Zane shook his head. “His stock was mainly full of frozen meat and vegetables.” He cleared his throat. “I ran a scan of the toaster, as well as many other devices here. Do you have any forms of transportation?”

“Besides the giant flying boat that Skylor and Kai ran off with, not really,” Cole groaned. “Sensei prefers that we travel on foot when we can, though. He says it keeps us in peak condition.”

“Traveling on foot will undoubtedly ensure our demise if that is how we will be evading Garmadon.” Pixal spoke so calmly, as if she didn’t realize how much her statement made Cole and Seliel frown. Neither of them could really blame her though. She was right.

“When we’d better hope that Kai gets his arrogant butt back here with the _Bounty_ in one piece,” Cole surmised.

“And with Lloyd and the princess,” Seliel added, staring at the floor thoughtfully. “I know that Sensei’s hopes for them aren’t very high right now, but they could still make it in and out alright, I think. It was stupid and dangerous to bring Harumi along, but maybe Skylor is skilled enough to get them all through this.” Seliel’s voice began to trail off as she kept talking, and she didn’t sound very confident.

“She’s an assassin,” Cole shrugged. “If there’s any profession that would help the most in getting close enough to Garmadon to kidnap his _son,_ it’s an assassin.”

“Just as long as Kai doesn’t weigh her down,” Seliel sighed.

“Hey, I’m hard on Kai sometimes, but it’s all in good fun,” Cole defended his friend. “He’s a solid dude, and he’s improved his elemental powers more than most of us, I think. He may be stubborn, but so is Skylor. Maybe that’ll be their common ground.”

“And Skylor…” Seliel started, looking at Cole seriously, “…you trust her?”

Before Cole could answer, Zane chimed in, “I for one have had the pleasure of knowing Miss Chen for some time now. I have not assumed she is perfect, nor have I pretended that her previous crimes don’t still matter. But I believe she will keep her word to Lloyd and bring him _and_ Princess Harumi back home.”

“She is very kind, actually,” Pixal added. “I believe she just acts differently for different people, and prefers not to show people her true self.”

“Oh, I’m sure that her attitude is all genuine,” Cole smirked. “But I see what you mean. She puts on a mask. Doesn’t want to seem soft when she’s supposed to be the most dangerous woman in Ninjago.”

“Well, in that case, I’m glad she’s on our side,” Seliel nodded, “especially when we know that a confrontation with Garmadon is inevitable at this point.”

“No one’s forcing you to stick around,” Cole reminded her, but he already knew she would stay where she was.

“You expect me to leave you to it when I could have the opportunity to take that monster out? No way,” Seliel grinned. “Besides, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.”

“We’ll need all the _training_ we can get,” Cole groaned as realization hit him. He reluctantly got up from his seat and turned to the door. “That reminds me: I’ve got a date with the punching bag outside.” As he exited the room, Seliel sprang to her feet.

“I’ll join you!” she offered, hurrying after him.

* * *

“You’ve got a good arm,” Cole commented as he stood beside Seliel. She had already punched a hole through the first bag, and the second bag wasn’t looking much better. What surprised Cole most was how she barely seemed tired out. “How long have you been this ‘Phantom Ninja’ for anyway? You’re pretty good.”

Seliel wiped a single bead of sweat from her forehead and paused to look at Cole. “I started just three days after Garmadon seized full control. It’s been a few years, I guess.”

“And you train every day?”

“I try to,” Seliel nodded, folding her arms. “I try to work out regularly and at least go for a run around the outside of Nom. Do you have someplace good for running here?”

Cole thought of something and then grimaced. “Nine times out of ten, that includes Sensei making us run up and down all the steps round the base of the mountain for hours. It’s not exactly fun.”

“Gotcha,” Seliel said before turning back to the punching bag. She brought her arms back in a readied position before striking, sending a flurry of blows at its center. “Y’know,” she spoke in between hits, “I never thought that my secret job would…get me to this point…y’know?”

“I wasn’t doing anything huge when I got into all this either,” Cole admitted. “My dad’s a serious performer.”

Seliel cast Cole a small glance as she continued punching. “Singing?”

“And dancing. And piano. And guitar. And a lot of things.” Cole regretted how bitter he sounded about it. “I don’t think he’s ever been fond of the fact that his own son is below average when it comes to, like, _anything_ I’d do on stage.”

Seliel paused and stepped back. She frowned sadly. “Aw, that sucks. Is performing even something you like doing?”

“No,” Cole answered far too quickly. “No, I’ve never enjoyed it – at least, not since I was considered old enough to sing in front of a crowd. I guess I enjoy playing guitar a bit, but not when I have to do it for a bunch of people. He still makes me sing, almost every week.”

“So you can still sing,” Seliel pointed out. “He probably wouldn’t put you out there if you sounded like a dying horse.”

“Well, it’s good to know I at least sound better than that,” Cole grinned. “Thanks. How about you? Does your dad make you do stuff that only he enjoys?”

Seliel pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. “He makes me sit in on mayoral meetings. Those get really boring, and I’m always asked to speak with important politicians when my dad isn’t home. He’s busy – I get it – but the last thing I want is to be mayor of Nom.” Seliel chuckled. “Becoming the Phantom Ninja gave me a chance to do things differently. My suit, my choices, my lifestyle.” 

“You make it sound so simple,” Cole spoke sheepishly, scratching his head. “I mean, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to hide something that big from my dad.”

“Guess that’s just something I’m more comfortable with,” Seliel shrugged. “Sometimes I feel bad about it, I guess, but if it doesn’t hurt him, then it doesn’t hurt me.”

“I guess so,” Cole shrugged his shoulders and stepped aside for Seliel to continue punching the bag. “I think I’ll tell my dad everything when I get back. I mean, he’s going to need some sort of explanation. And if this is something that I actually enjoy, maybe he’ll be proud of me either way.” Cole’s face fell. “No, who am I kidding? He wants a son who can sing and dance, not a ninja who’s only trained for combat. He’d think it is a waste of my life.”

“What you’re doing on this team is more important than what some people will do in a lifetime,” Seliel assured him. “You’re helping to remove a corrupt emperor from his throne and free all of Ninjago. Can you honestly tell me that, if you came home seen as a hero for freeing the people, that he’d still look down on you with shame? That he’d say that what you’re doing is a waste?”

Cole stepped back again. “You don’t know my dad. He’s a good man, but he has high expectations. _Really_ high expectations. You don’t know what it’s like to feel like you have to live up to a man who’s as accomplished as he is.”

Seliel almost looked offended. “Cole, I _do_ know what that’s like, and I just told you that I do. My dad may not sing and dance, but he’s accomplished plenty on his own.”

Cole was silent for a moment before he let out a disappointed sigh. Disappointed in himself, not in Seliel. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me. You’ve been trying to relate to me this whole time, and I pushed you away.”

Seliel unclipped the punching bag from its hook and set it onto the floor. After turning back to Cole, she gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t sweat it. I don’t get into arguments very often, so you just surprised me a bit.”

Cole raised a brow. “What? Never gotten into a harmless debate with a friend?”

“Back in Nom, I didn’t really have friends,” Seliel confessed. “I mean, I guess that there _are_ some people my age there, but they’d never give me a chance, I think. I heard them whispering about me once – about how I’m probably just a snobby rich kid.”

Cole nodded knowingly. “I understand the feeling. To be honest, I don’t have a ton of friends either-“

“I apologize for our intrusion,” Pixal’s voice rang out as she and Zane entered behind Cole and Seliel. The two of them had donned different outfits, with Pixal wearing a simple black kimono, and Zane wearing a ninja gi very similar to Cole’s. 

“Sensei Wu gave me this new gi,” Zane explained, looking down at it contentedly. “He says that, seeing as I have elemental powers as well, it would be good to complete the look.”

Cole nodded slowly. “I almost forgot about that…ice, right?”

“Yes,” Zane nodded back. 

Cole’s eyes widened. “So then you must be the last ninja! Sensei’s prophecy was right!”

Zane gave an inquisitive look. “Please explain.”

“When we first met Sensei Wu, he was the one who told us about our elemental powers. He said that there would be seven ninja that would come together, each endowed with their own power. So far, there’s been Kai, Jay, Nya, Lloyd, me…” Cole grinned. “…and you.”

Seliel cleared her throat. “That makes six. Who’s the seventh?”

“Skylor, I guess,” Cole muttered. “At least, that’s what everyone currently suspects. She’s more skilled with her element than any of the rest of us, and she’s already got a gi of her own.”

“So it was… _destiny_ that brought Skylor to find Zane and Pixal?” Seliel guessed.

“I believe so,” Zane agreed. “All of our paths have converged conveniently.”

“Most of us were all there from the start,” Cole pointed out as realization dawned on him. “Jay, Lloyd, and Skylor were all after Princess Harumi, and Kai, Nya, and I were all there to intervene, which led to us all getting captured together.”

“And Jay knew to go to Sensei Wu for help,” Seliel added. “Wow. I didn’t realize I was hanging out with a bunch of prophesized saviors.”

“I feel that the title is a bit too kind, but yes,” Zane nodded. “It would seem that destiny has, in fact, brought us all together in time to unite against Emperor Garmadon.”

“Then in that case,” Cole started as he hurried over to the weapons chest, “let’s get you a weapon, Zane. You like swords?”

“Anything is fine,” Zane admitted. 

“Good, because we’re gonna have to get you up to speed with the rest of us,” Cole pointed out. “We should start your training. I’ll get Wu.” Cole then hesitated. “You… _can_ train, right?”

Zane appeared confused by the question before he nodded his head and smiled. “If you are concerned that my being an android prohibits me from learning, then do not worry.”

Cole shrugged. “That’s good with me.”

* * *

This was now Jay and Nya’s fourth “lunch date”. Nya refused to call it an actual date, since she felt it was unfair to count just anything when they were ordered to stay at the Monastery, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Jay sat across from her on the grass, right underneath the shade from the cherry blossom tree. Usually he’d be chatting away about his crew and the many adventures he’d been on, but this time Nya wanted to talk – and for good reason.

“Even when I think I understand what goes on in my brother’s head, he proves me wrong in the most dramatic way possible,” Nya groaned, running a few fingers through her black hair. “I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t at least tell us what he was going to do first.”

“He ran off because he knew you wouldn’t let him. Neither would Wu, and neither would I.” Jay gave Nya a meaningful look, appearing almost saddened. “But you already knew that. You don’t have to keep repeating yourself to me to get me to understand.”

“I’m not,” Nya shook her head. “I just don’t have the answers, and it drives me nuts. How will this even end? Are we ready for Garmadon? Can we still trust Skylor? What will my future look like? Why is my brother such an idiot?” Nya sighed and rested her head in her hands. 

“You just mentioned your future,” Jay grinned. “How about we talk about that instead? Y’know, get your mind off of your brother for a bit.”

Nya blinked. “I don’t really know why I brought that up.”

“I don’t think you would have brought it up if you weren’t worried about it,” Jay said.

“Good point,” Nya shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I’ve always had dreams about what I’d want to do with my life, but I never actually thought they were possible. Kai and I never made a lot of money, and the most realistic job I could probably ever find would be a waitress at some diner.”

“You deserve better than that,” Jay responded, not missing a beat.

Nya blushed. “You’re sweet. But now, after this whole ninja thing, I’m not sure if I’ll ever have a ‘normal’ life.”

“That may not be a bad thing,” Jay shrugged. “Your powers might come in handy one day. Maybe you could summon an unlimited amount of water and beat the record for most amount of days spent alone in an empty desert.”

Nya rolled her eyes. “I’m being serious, Jay. Having control over water isn’t going to help pay the bills on a house. I have hardly anything to pay for that and for a job, not to mention feeding the kids is going to be an extra cost and I might have to stay home with them and not work if you’re at-“ Nya stopped and turned red. “I mean, if _he’s_ at his own job…uhh…”

Jay smirked. “You look cute when you’re all flustered.”

Nya playfully swatted him away. “I, uh…I’ve gotta go – uh, I can hear Wu’s tea kettle, uh…going off…” Nya scrambled to her feet and rushed off, gaining an amused look from Jay.

“Wu’s tea kettle doesn’t even make noises,” he mused to himself.

* * *

Cole picked himself up for the second time now, feeling quite humbled by Zane’s acute ability. The newcomer had managed to overwhelm Cole with his quick, strategic attacks, and actually had Cole backpedaling for most of their spar. Seliel and Pixal watched from the sidelines, joined now by Sensei Wu, who was more than eager to see Zane in action.

“You may be quick on your feet, but I’ve barely started,” Cole commented as he brought his fists together, using elemental powers for the first time since they started. The Earth Ninja jumped into the air briefly before bringing both fists to the ground and causing a small earthquake underneath Zane’s feet. The android began to stumble, and Cole found his opening. One quick punch to the stomach, and-

Zane’s hand came up to swiftly catch Cole’s punch.

“What?” Cole exclaimed. “There’s no way!”

“Don’t take it personally, Cole,” Zane assured him with a smile. “After all, I am programmed with increased reflexes. I am sure that it won’t be long until your ‘hands-on’ experiences overcome my own ability.”

“Still, it would be great if I could land _something_ ,” Cole strained.

“That will be enough for now,” Wu called out, and both Cole and Zane stopped to bow in honor. “Both of you have performed admirably. Seeing as Zane is already sort of a natural at the basic forms, I believe we should quickly move into the second stage of training after this next break.”

“That would be most helpful, thank you,” Zane nodded.

Cole walked back over to the bench, trying and failing to ignore Seliel’s sly grin. “So, you got schooled by the robot ninja, huh?” 

“You’re enjoying this too much,” Cole shook his head.

“Still better than singing and dancing though, right?”

“Right.”


	33. Dreaded Pursuit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not an incredibly long chapter, but it does what its supposed to.

Lloyd had assumed that learning how to summon an elemental dragon would be the hardest part of the next few days. It had taken at least three hours of practice before Lloyd could get anything to briefly materialize in front of him, and it wasn’t until several more hours later that Lloyd finally got it down. The dragon was larger than Lloyd had expected, and he wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

From where he flew high in the air, peering down on the people of Ninjago, Lloyd almost felt free. The option to fly away from everything and get back to the Monastery still hovered in his mind, but he knew that wouldn’t end well for anyone involved. He’d never make it that far across sea while focusing to keep the dragon solid, and he had already given himself about a hundred different reasons why going back to the others would be a bad idea. He wouldn’t risk their lives again.

Garmadon had instructed him to “oversee the people and put down any unrest”, whatever that meant. Since the moment Lloyd had gotten out here, he’d done nothing but lose himself in his thoughts. Eventually, Lloyd decided to descend into the city, but not because he wanted to detain rebellion citizens. He was just hungry and it felt like all he’d digested before coming back to the city was Wu’s homemade meals and tea, and the slop Chen had given him before that.

Lloyd landed the dragon outside the outskirts of the city before entering. It felt odd to be walking amongst the people freely again, dressed in those black and purple robes and with his face completely uncovered. He tried to put on that hardened face again – the look of a boy he no longer felt like – but he gave up trying after a while.

“Chili dog,” Lloyd spoke simply to the man at the counter as he stepped up to a food truck. Was the son of a warlord ordering food from a food truck a ridiculous picture? Probably. Lloyd couldn’t care less, though. The man’s eyes widened nervously as he recognized Lloyd, but after a moment he nodded and hurried back to prepare Lloyd’s order. 

That was something Lloyd definitely hadn’t missed: seeing everyone around fearing him. Before, he’d taken joy in it – he’d _basked_ in it. The feeling of power that that alone gave him used to be exciting. Now, that dark child had been replaced with a kinder, less selfish ninja, but obviously no one would know the difference.

After a few more minutes, the man came back with Lloyd’s chili dog, and practically threw it into Lloyd’s hands. Lloyd assumed his mind had probably been racing the whole time he’d made that chili dog, and by the time he was done, he was twice as fearful as before. After noticing how messily the chili had been distributed across the hot dog, Lloyd figured his suspicions were right.

Or maybe that was just how Ninjago City food trucks always served their customers. That sounded about right.

Lloyd continued his stroll through the city and noticed quite a few civilians who sat alone on the street with tattered clothes and dirty skin. They were homeless, and probably had been for a while. Lloyd was tempted to walk up and give one of them his chili dog (he had hardly touched it, despite feeling hungry) but realized that showing kindness as Garmadon’s son would give the wrong impression. The last thing Lloyd needed was for rumors to go around that he’d gone soft, and for Garmadon to hear them.

Lloyd instead left the chili dog beside one of the homeless men while he was asleep, and hurried back to the fortress. If he couldn’t show kindness as the son of Garmadon, then he’d do it as the Green Ninja.

* * *

Stealing back the gi from Garmadon’s vault had been easy, because it had never really been hidden away from Lloyd in the first place. Lloyd had free access to this vault anyway, and Garmadon probably assumed Lloyd wouldn’t go looking for it. Oh, how he was wrong.

Lloyd took off into the city again, this time not being afraid to be himself. He stopped at the street he’d been on before, this time with his hood over his face and a couple hundred dollars in his pocket. The reaction from the first man had been priceless.

“You…you want me to have it?” he asked. It was an older man, with gray hair and tired eyes. He took the food gratefully and gave Lloyd a smile. Lloyd didn’t speak, but instead extended the food generously and left right after. It helped to keep people from suspecting anything.

Lloyd came to another – a young woman with a child – and dropped a bag of food at their feet. It was mainly pizza subs and snacks, but that was about all that they sold in this district. The woman had hardly noticed when Lloyd came near her, and barely made out the flash of green as Lloyd hurried away.

For the next two hours, that became Lloyd’s mission. He’d stop by different people on the street, hand them some food, buy some more food from a nearby vendor, and then repeat. The elemental dragon came in good use for traveling across town when he went looking for others, and he could hide it away at will.

“Hey, sir!” a young voice called out behind Lloyd, and he turned to see a boy and girl approaching him. The boy was dressed in a purple hoodie and his brown hair was combed neatly, while the girl beside him seemed several years older and had streaks of black through her dark red hair. The boy came up to Lloyd excitedly. “We saw you handing out food to everyone. Are you some kind of prophesized savior? Are you going to defeat Garmadon?”

Lloyd could only look at the kid from beneath his mask confusedly.

The girl cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, he’s a bit obsessed with action heroes and ‘ninja who control fire’ and stuff like that. We didn’t mean to bother you, sir.”

Lloyd made a motion with his hands that he hoped got the message across that he didn’t mind, and fortunately the girl picked up on it.

“Well, I’m Antonia,” she introduced herself with a shy grin, and then gestured to the boy beside her. “This is Nelson. After we heard whispers that there was some masked man handing out food, Nelson here practically dragged me out the door so we could check it out.” Antonia’s eyes looked over Lloyd’s gi suspiciously. “You _are_ one of the good guys, right?”

Lloyd almost shrugged. He nodded instead, and Antonia let out a sigh of relief.

“Good. I was worried that you were one of Garmadon’s soldiers.”

Lloyd shifted. _If only she knew…_

“I also noticed that you left some bread on our doorstep already,” Antonia added. “Thank you. I had sort of lost hope that anyone would go out of their way to fight for this city anymore.”

“That’s a pretty crazy outfit for someone who just hands out food,” Nelson pointed out with a knowing smile. “That’s a ninja suit, right? You’re a ninja?”

Antonia glared at Nelson for a moment but then considered the possibility, and then looked back at Lloyd. “Are you?”

Lloyd nodded.

“I thought that ninja were-“

Nelson was cut off by a large alarm. Lloyd looked up to see police shuttles coming over the city, and even some of the Serpentine warriors began slithering down the streets. Antonia opened her mouth in question, but Lloyd was already too far to hear her. As soon as he was out of sight, Lloyd caught sight of one of the Venomari and decided to follow after him. The Serpentine were faster than they looked, but Lloyd had been trained to be even faster. Using the buildings and objects around for cover, Lloyd continued to follow the Venomari without being noticed.

That was when Lloyd finally saw it. 

A large group of Serpentine, police, and even Killow had gathered into a single wide alleyway, apparently pursing a group of criminals who were on the run after being exposed. Lloyd took to the rooftops, hoping to leap right over and past the horde, but was forced down when a large pulse knocked him back. Garmadon had installed laser gates into every alley in the city, and now Lloyd was boxed in with all of these thugs while the runners were on the other side. Lloyd could still peer through the red tint and try to see who it was.

A pair of scared jade eyes met Lloyd’s, and he froze. It was Harumi, alright. Strangely, she was dressed in that slave kimono again – the one from Chen’s Island – and she was clearly trying to hide who she was with her hair down like that. Lloyd noticed as her lips parted in a small, inaudible gasp, only moments before she was pulled away by a pair of arms Lloyd couldn’t see.

“Get this gate down!” Killow barked at the others down on the ground, and Lloyd turned his attention down to them. “They’re getting away, and we’re all stuck in here!”

A pair of bikers nodded nervously and hurried over to a hidden control box on one of the walls, using the controls to turn the system off. As soon as the red beams faded away, the bikers and Serpentine took off in the direction of Harumi, and Lloyd followed close behind on the rooftops.

Lloyd felt his breathing getting tight, and he was tempted to pull the hood off so that he wouldn’t be forcing himself to exhale into thin cloth. He almost didn’t realize when he came across a rather large gap between two buildings, but he was able to shove his right foot onto the edge of one building to vault himself forward, and with a slight spin, Lloyd managed to land onto his feet. 

He caught a glimpse of Harumi on the street below, only for more buildings and street signs to obscure his view. Lloyd picked up the pace, rushing across with hope that he could come ahead of Harumi and catch her at the next turn. He made out Harumi a few more times through slivers that came between buildings, but after a while, he started seeing two different figures close behind Harumi.

_No-_

“They’re making their way to the highway, boys,” Killow shouted just loud enough for Lloyd to hear from the rooftops. “Get on the bikes!”

Lloyd could barely turn to watch before about a dozen motorbikes whizzed by, moving at high speeds toward the highway. 

_I’ll never catch up now,_ Lloyd thought to himself. _Not unless…_

Lloyd’s ideas were cut off by the sound of screeching tires. Lloyd looked ahead once he reached the last rooftop before the busy highway, and his eyes widened. Hundreds of cars were speeding by from left to right like usual, while Harumi and her companions were apparently running across straight forward. One of the companions – Skylor, Lloyd noticed – had managed to stop one of the coming pickup trucks and nearly caused an accident as a result. She seemed to hardly notice or care, and hurriedly forced Harumi and the other escapee into the back of the truck. Skylor looked to her left to see the coming swarm of bikes, and then got into the truck and took off.

Lloyd was left alone as the bikes sped after them. He summoned his elemental dragon, almost without thinking, while waves of anger and confusion filled him. He had made Skylor promise to keep Harumi at the Monastery, hadn’t he? She had given him her word. Now, here she was putting Harumi only a few miles away from where Garmadon sat waiting for her capture.

Lloyd’s face had twisted, but he kept the hood on and shook the reigns, feeling the wind blow against him as the dragon picked up speed. 

“They’re trying to blend in with the other vehicles,” Killow called to the other bikers. “Four bikers take the left road, four take the right. The rest of us will drive it down the middle.” The Big Man took the lead and pushed through forcefully, causing several civilian vehicles to spin out and slam into the road barriers.

Lloyd’s dragon was hovering very close above the chase now, but no one involved seemed to have noticed yet. The loud sounds of the highway were all anyone could hear, but Lloyd tried his best to block it out while he tracked down the truck. When he spotted it, the truck was veering onto a side road, and had nearly crossed over when one of the bikes sped forward and knocked into the truck, spinning it back onto the main road. Lloyd’s muscles tightened and he jolted forward to prepare for the impact of other vehicles colliding with the stationary truck, but that wasn’t what happened. The truck surprisingly took back off quickly, regaining its path, and this was where the bike groups that had split off came into play.

The group from the left path had turned wildly and were coming straight to the truck from the opposite direction, while the right group came to the left side of the truck to box them in. With only a few seconds until inevitable collision, Skylor had kicked the door open and pulled herself onto the roof of the truck, grabbing Harumi and the other escapee. Skylor jumped, pulling the one companion along, but her grip on Harumi slipped, and the princess stumbled forward and fell onto her stomach, still in the back of the truck.

Everything following that happened so fast. Lloyd forced the dragon to swoop down as quickly as possible, watching in horror as the bikes converged and the truck slammed into the side of the road, flipping over and more importantly hurling Harumi’s flailing body into the air, off the road and towards the second road below.

Lloyd’s dragon wouldn’t fit. As soon as he had come close enough, Lloyd disengaged the dragon and used the momentum to dive towards Harumi. In the mess of things, he had grabbed Harumi around her waist, straightened himself, and formed the dragon just in time to make a steady landing. The dragon’s claws clutched the pavement and cars spun helplessly in an effort to avoid them. 

As Lloyd steadied himself and Harumi, the dragon dissipated again, and Lloyd landed on his feet. He looked down at Harumi, and then across at the field of grass where Skylor had landed, and let out a sigh of relief.

Harumi moved against Lloyd, bringing his attention back to her as she gave him a look that meant far more than a simple ‘thank you.’ Before he could react, Harumi had reached up to pull Lloyd’s hood down, grabbed both sides of his face, and leaned in to kiss him. Lloyd felt his arms go stiff, and his eyes widened only for a moment before he relaxed into her. Her lips felt full and soft against his, suckling along his bottom lip hungrily. She had missed him badly – this was more than enough proof of that. Her hands had roamed down from his face to his shoulders, and she moved herself even closer against him before-

“Hey,” Lloyd breathed out as he pulled back, taking in his surroundings again. His right arm wrapped around Harumi’s waist as he pulled her along, only to stop in his tracks at the hundreds of faces that looked down at him from the side of the road. People had come out of their cars to see if anyone had survived the crash, clearly not expecting to have seen _any_ of that – the giant green dragon saving Harumi from death, the risky landing, the kiss, and-

“Supreme Commander???” Killow’s voice boomed out in shock, and Lloyd turned to see the man and his bikers watching with wide eyes as well. Lloyd mentally panicked. Harumi had taken his hood off. They’d seen his face.

_Everyone_ had seen his face.

“Is that…is that Lloyd _Garmadon_?” one of the civilians asked.

“No… _way!_ ” another exclaimed.

“Wait, so the Green Ninja was Garmadon’s son the whole time?”

“Why did he hand out food to the people?”

Lloyd was turned around by Skylor, who was followed closely behind by Kai. She gave Lloyd a brief, almost apologetic look before nodding to the distance. “We need to go. Now.”

Lloyd felt the anger return. “I made you promise to keep her _safe_.”

“ _Now,_ Lloyd!” Skylor hissed, pulling him and Harumi along while the rest of the city looked on in awe.

Killow eventually recomposed himself. “I…he…well…” He cleared his throat. “We must inform the emperor of this development.”

Samukai nodded slowly. “I can’t believe it.”

Using the wrist com fastened to his glove, Killow relayed a message. “Emperor Garmadon, this is Killow. I’m afraid Supreme Commander Lloyd has gone rogue. He’s allied with Chen’s daughter, and…

“…and with Princess Harumi.”


	34. Fragile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a bit longer, both to make up for the previous one, and because there was so much I had to do with this one. As you may have seen, I've updated the chapters on this fic to state that we're at Chapter 34 of 40, rather than having a question mark. Yes, I'm planning on just 6 more chapters, but most of them will probably be pretty beefy like this one.
> 
> Action in this one is pretty much from start to finish at a whopping 5,178 words rather than the usual 3,000-3,500 I usually aim for, so the story will be slowing down a bit in the next chapter or two to work up to the climax of the story.

Lloyd didn’t like being mad anymore – scratch that, he didn’t mind letting off some steam here and there, but what he hated was _looking_ mad. The amount of regret and hurt Lloyd saw from Harumi before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along was almost enough to replace the larger issue in mind.

_Dad knows now. He knows. Why did Skylor and Kai even bring her???_

Skylor came to run alongside Lloyd, but made no attempt to apologize. Instead, Lloyd only heard her labored breathing from their long run across town. She had offered to hijack another vehicle to make the trip easier, but Lloyd immediately put the idea down, knowing the city streets like the back of his hand. Taking to the rooftops and sneaking through thin alleyways was the best option. 

That was what Lloyd was telling himself, at least.

“We parked the _Bounty_ in the busiest harbor I could find,” Skylor spoke at last between pants. “I just don’t remember the exact direction.”

Lloyd was about to comment on that, snapping at Skylor and pointing out that he knew e _xactly_ where the harbors were – duh – but he kept his mouth shut. The only problem was that the harbor was still quite a ways away and Lloyd was no longer sure they could all make it on foot. Harumi was already falling behind, and probably would be quite a distance behind the others if Lloyd hadn’t kept her hand in his all the way. 

_Yet another reason why it was a terrible idea to bring her along,_ Lloyd thought to himself as he continued to run. _Skylor and Kai are trained for this sort of stuff. Maybe we could have already been at the harbor by now if I wasn’t slowed down by Harumi. She keeps stumbling and she’s breathing so heavily-_

Lloyd shook his head gently, pushing the thought away. He wasn’t mad at Harumi – at least, not as much as he was mad at Skylor.

“Hey, Lloyd, what if we take the air tram?” Kai spoke up as he came up along Lloyd’s other side, opposite Skylor. The Fire Ninja pointed a finger up at the sky above them, where a couple of trams were speeding by on their elevated tracks. 

Lloyd shook his head. “We’d be noticed – my dad has cameras in every one of those. The moment he knew we were onboard, he’d have the tram disengaged and send us plummeting into the street below.”

“Ngh, Lloyd, _wait!_ ” Harumi exclaimed with a tug on Lloyd’s arm, forcing him to stop and turn to her. She was still panting, her chest heaving and her eyes wide from all of the sudden excitement, but she managed to calm herself enough to speak. “Kai’s idea might work. We can just hitch a ride on the _top_ of the tram car. The camera inside would be useless and we’d be too high in the air for anyone on the ground to see us. The only worry we’d have up there would be-“

“The eyes in the sky,” Skylor finished for her, folding her arms as she stared up at the tram again. “It’s only a matter of time before aircraft are deployed.” She sighed. “But it’s our best shot. I’d rather dodge enemy fire up there than down here where it’s way easier to be surrounded. Wouldn’t you?” Skylor gestured to Lloyd impatiently, who’s coldness to her hadn’t gone away. Still, he had to agree that it was the best idea they had, and he nodded.

“Alright. The closest checkpoint is close.” Lloyd looked around, seemingly prepping himself. “We’ll have to go topside to get to it, though. There will be plenty of civilians up there, and possibly bikers, too.”

“We can deal with them,” Skylor shrugged it off, her right hand resting confidently on one of her knives. “They’ll just be a necessary obstacle before we can get to the tram.”

Lloyd raised a brow at Skylor’s eagerness to use weaponry, but returned to the issue at hand. He began running again, now in the direction of the flight of stairs that would take them higher. The others followed. “Alright, just keep your heads down. This is the upper city, where all the-“

“Where all the rich people live,” Kai cut him off, in more of a curious way rather than sounding rude. “I used to joke around to Nya that I’d always get to see it before her.” He laughed at the memory, but it came off dry and hesitant. “Man, she’s gonna give me such a hard time when we get home.”

“Let’s worry about getting there, first,” Skylor added, but she couldn’t help but smile. “You should be proud that you’re spending your first time up top hijacking a tram all in the name of rebelling against Garmadon. I don’t think even Nya could be mad at you for that.”

As they reached the top of the steps, they were instantly greeted by the bright lights and colors, not just of the tall, sleek buildings but also of the storefronts and advertisements all over, tempting visitors with new deals and products. Kai realized he couldn’t even _see_ the floor – there were so many people hurrying in every direction possible that all Kai could see when looking down was another pair of shoes.

Lloyd had transitioned to having Harumi walk right beside him now, with one arm wrapped around her waist as he held her as close to him as possible without tripping over her feet. If the gesture had caused Harumi to blush or make any sound of approval, Lloyd hadn’t been able to notice. The mixture of nearby voices from all of the hundreds of people was easily overcoming any other noise, and Lloyd was searching for the tram checkpoint hurriedly. His eyes scanned around for a while, until finally-

“There,” Lloyd ascertained, pointing in the direction of a small, red-roofed station. He picked up speed, going to a small jog with Harumi’s feet falling in line with his, and Skylor and Kai hurried ahead of them both as soon as they also noticed where the checkpoint was. 

It was suddenly one of those strange moments where Lloyd’s attention shifted to something completely besides the point, and in the worst possible moment. His hand that rested just above Harumi’s hip had brushed the sharp line of the kimono belt, and all the sudden, Lloyd found himself looking over at Harumi inquisitively. She had worn the slave kimono from Chen’s Island? He was actually surprised he hadn’t noticed before. Everything had been such a rush from noticing the escape, chasing down the truck, rescuing Harumi from the street, the _kiss…_

Lloyd hated that it had to be in these circumstances where he had hardly any time to react or figure out how the heck he even felt about it. From the moment she’d pulled away, they were running for their lives, and Lloyd had to try his best not to think too much about the lingering, excited taste that Harumi had left on his lips. 

Now, while holding that same girl close to his side and fighting to keep her alive, the gravity of the situation became even graver in the forefront of Lloyd’s conscience. He’d only solidified how much she meant to him, and a part of Lloyd worried that that much on his shoulders would cause him to mess up – to make just one mistake that would put her in harm’s way.

Lloyd felt a greater feeling of dread as he hoisted Harumi onto the roof of the tram, handing her to Skylor and Kai who pulled her up the rest of the way. There was no going back from this. He was putting her in a fragile position. It was one that was risky but was the best shot he had at keeping her safe. Lloyd hoisted himself up now, taking a quick peek inside the tram car to make sure the camera wasn’t positioned in his direction.

“Alright, the tram is moving,” Skylor announced as it made a mechanical sound and began quickly picking up speed. The assassin nearly lost her footing and slid off, if not for her own quick reaction and Kai’s own outstretched hand. “Word of advice: don’t stand on this thing.” The redhead took a seat near the middle of the hood and watched the others do the same. She grabbed onto the fastened sign that read the name of the transport company, while Kai did the same on the opposite side. Lloyd and Harumi had already grabbed on to a second sign behind it.

A whirring overhead caused Skylor to quietly curse and reposition herself, getting down onto her stomach. “Stay down, I can hear aircraft nearby.”

“Already?” Kai exclaimed. “Talk about bad timing, we literally just got on this thing!”

“Stay down,” Skylor repeated, “and your plan will still work.”

The group grew completely silent in a matter of moments, and the only clear sounds around them were the engines of cars driving by below them, and the soft whirring of machinery as the sky tram moved its way down the track. Lloyd felt his muscles tense up as he heard aircraft nearby, and with a swift movement, he swung his body over to land right beside Harumi and rest a hand on his back. He regretted it as soon as she looked at him.

“Sorry,” Lloyd whispered, slightly cringing back. Still, his hand stayed put. “I’m just trying to-“

Harumi reached forward to gently press her finger against Lloyd’s lips, and gave him a small smile. “It’s fine.” That was all she said about it, and she looked forward to watch the busy streets while Lloyd bit his tongue. Did she not _want_ him so close to her? In that case…

The hand came down and rested at Lloyd’s side. Harumi shifted and grabbed the hand in her own, but was still not looking at him. She didn’t squeeze the hand – in fact, she was just barely grasping Lloyd’s hand to hold it – but he could assume that she was doing it either out of worry or concern that she’d given him the wrong idea. Either one was a feeling that Lloyd wished he could take away, because it almost made him uncomfortable just seeing her so conflicted.

“Where’d the dragon come from?” Skylor’s voice rang out from where she was. 

Lloyd swallowed the urge to give the assassin the cold shoulder – _fitting punishment for breaking her promise,_ he thought to himself – and simply answered the question. “It’s an elemental dragon, a manifestation of my power. My dad taught me how to do it,” he added. Lloyd created a small green light inside the palm of his other hand and looked at it thoughtfully. “I know that Wu said there was more to my power than I had learned, but I hadn’t expected there to be so much.”

“Tell me about it,” Kai grinned. “For instance, I had _no_ idea that I could use fire powers to solve Wu’s annoying hot water problem at the Monastery. When Jay and Cole keep hogging all of the hot water during their showers, I’ve got an unlimited heat source of my own,” Kai joked, earning a dry chuckle from Skylor.

“Jay and Cole hog warm water more than your sister?” Skylor asked amusedly. 

“I was just as surprised as you are,” Kai admitted.

Lloyd watched Kai and Skylor smiling and laughing for just that small moment, and felt the need to say something about it. “Hey, Kai?”

The Red Ninja turned his head to look over at his teammate. “Yeah?”

“Thanks. For lightening the mood, I mean.” Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. “Things have been way too serious lately.”

Kai looked around and shrugged as well. “I mean, I wouldn’t say things couldn’t _still_ get more serious considering we’ve got a ways to go, but you’re welcome.” He appeared thoughtful for a second before adding, “And I’m really glad we got you back, man. Even if, you know, technically _you_ came after _us._ ”

Lloyd nodded thankfully. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Sorry for interrupting, but what is that?” Harumi spoke up, raising her voice in concern as she looked ahead of them. All four heads turned to watch as an aerial troop transport the size of a school bus came flying close to the tram. It had slowed down and was apparently circling around the area to search for Lloyd and the others.

“A troop transport?” Skylor whispered. “Why are they using that to search the area? It barely has any weapons and the searchlights aren’t even that good.”

The answer to Skylor’s question came in the form of a long, eerie sound. The side doors of the transport slid open, revealing seven armored soldiers wearing dark helmets with red visors. 

“Mr. E?” Harumi’s eyes widened.

“No,” Lloyd shook his head as he started to slowly move towards the princess, his eyes never leaving the transport as the soldiers began to step out. “No, no, they’re elite riot guards, and they’re-“

Lloyd stopped talking as the thud of boots hitting the top of the tram echoed all over. Standing to his feet, Lloyd held one hand behind him to keep Harumi back while he observed the attackers. Kai and Skylor had gotten up as well, and only had a few seconds to react before three of the guards came up to attack them with long katanas. Skylor ducked under one swing, and then kicked the hand of another guard, while Kai leaned back to just nearly avoid the blade’s full motion.

The remaining four guards began to surround Lloyd and Harumi.

“Stay close to me,” Lloyd whispered back before bringing both hands up above his head. Pressing her palms together, Lloyd concentrated his power into a large glowing sphere before bringing both arms down swiftly, allowing the energy to separate in different directions and knock back two of the guards. One fell off – most likely to his death – while the other brought his katana down into the metal of the tram roof, giving himself something to hold onto as he recovered himself. The two guards Lloyd hadn’t dealt with yet were attempting to come up from behind and grab Harumi, so Lloyd spun him and Harumi both around in position to deal with them head-on.

“Supreme Commander,” one of the guards spoke in a loud, commanding voice. “You have blatantly rebelled against the Emperor’s authority, and are harboring a criminal and an enemy of the true ruler.” The guard – seemingly the leader – pulled out his own katana and brought himself into a readied position. “Surrender the former princess now.”

Lloyd prepared to send a beam of bright energy right through the leader’s chest, but was taken aback by a second transport coming on the other side of the tram car. Lloyd had hardly noticed that the tram had been stopped manually by one of the guards, and now Lloyd and the others were sitting ducks. A spotlight fell down over Lloyd, nearly blinding him.

“Lloyd, get out of here!” Skylor yelled, and she tried saying something else before being rushed by a new pair of guards. There was no longer anywhere to run, and the troops onboard the second transport filed out. Lloyd heard the familiar whirring of blasters being charged up behind him, and he weighed his options carefully.

“Hold your fire,” the leader called out suddenly, and the group around Lloyd had moved away to make room for both Lloyd and the leader. Skylor and Kai had been taken down and forced to their knees behind Lloyd, and handcuffs were slapped onto their wrists.

“Vengestone,” Skylor commented in frustration. “My powers won’t work, Lloyd, get out of here while you still have a chance!”

Lloyd didn’t respond. All he could think to do was to slowly back up, holding Harumi close by as he waited for the leader to suddenly swing at him or order the firing to start. Nothing happened for a while.

“I always admired how you did things, Supreme Commander,” the leader spoke finally, twirling the hilt of his katana between his fingers recklessly. “I never admired _you_ – no, you never seemed to have that same resolve that your father does – but I admired you skill. Your raw power that unleashed itself all over the battlefield was incredible. But over time, I had begun to question if the man wielding the power had anything to do with it at all, or if he was just a soft, foolish child who got that power conveniently.”

The leader began moving slowly in a circle along the inner edge of the area the other soldiers had made, and Lloyd began doing the same, always having his eye on the opponent and his right hand grasping Harumi’s wrist. “You seem to hate me quite a lot,” Lloyd commented cautiously, slowly raising a brow in confusion. Did he know this soldier personally?

“All new feelings, really,” the leader answered thoughtfully. His hand clutched the hilt of his katana tighter. “Who could have known that our highest man of authority besides the Emperor himself would turn out to have been against us all along? I had always wondered how tough you _really_ are…”

“I’m guessing you want to find out?”

Lloyd could almost tell that the leader was grinning beneath the visor of his helmet. “I’m gonna kick your butt, kid.” One of the soldiers moved as if to argue against such a foolish idea, but the leader waved him off. “Let go of your precious princess. Go on, none of us will lay a finger on her until I have you bleeding profusely on the ground.”

Lloyd considered it for a moment, but then shook his head, pulling Harumi closer behind him.

“I promise, really,” the leader threw his hands into the air, effectively swinging the katana just above one of the soldier’s heads in the process. “I’m a man of my word, traitor, now do as I ask and the princess won’t be touched.”

“I’m not in the mood for entertaining this,” Lloyd argued, still stepping back. “You think I don’t know how my own men think?”

“Your men?” he scoffed.

“You’ve sworn to do the job, no matter what tricks you have to use. You won’t play fair,” Lloyd shook his head.

“Then maybe I’ll motivate you by cutting off your friends’ heads,” the leader shrugged, gesturing to Kai and Skylor. 

Lloyd paused for a moment. He looked back at Skylor, in an attempt at misdirection, really, and suddenly swung back around to punch the leader right in the bucket, sending the helmet hurling off of the tram and down into the city streets below. Lloyd watched the leader get back to his feet only long enough to make out his face – tan skin, dark eyes, wild blue hair – and then followed up with a sweeper kick that sent the leader off the edge of the tram. Fortunately for himself, the leader caught hold of the tram’s side, and yelled up at his men, “B-beat him up!”

Lloyd was suddenly swarmed by soldiers, and had to make a quick decision. He looked down at the enemy’s legs – all spread in different directions, all unbalanced due to the wobbly tram car – and made his move. Lloyd fell down to the ground, landing on one hand while both of his legs swept across to knock right through several pairs of legs. The attempt sent almost half of the group off of the tram, but it had hardly bought Lloyd any time.

Harumi was struggling against one of the soldiers, having had been separated from Lloyd in the rush, and was at the mercy of a strong headlock which Lloyd couldn’t see any way of getting to. Lloyd pushed back a few soldiers before quickly spinning around to fire energy spheres at the two soldiers holding Kai and Skylor, and both of them got the message instantly. Skylor sprang to her feet quickly, pulling the soldier away from Harumi and catching him in a headlock of her own, wrapping the vengestone chains around his neck forcefully. With a hard kick to his back, Skylor forced the soldier onto his feet, still with the chain wrapped around.

“There’s another transport coming over!” Kai called as he kicked away an enemy, and caught his fallen katana. “We need to get off of this thing.”

Lloyd nodded and hurried over to the others, blasting away a few more soldiers as he went. “We can take my dragon, considering our cover’s been blown. Rumi, c’mon, we’ve gotta go!” He turned to see the girl running up behind him, until her ankle was caught by something on the side of the tram.

The leader from earlier was desperately holding on to the side with one hand while pulling Harumi down with him with the other, and was almost successful in throwing her overboard before Lloyd grabbed her by both hands and released her. 

“You made a mistake challenging me on your own,” Lloyd called down as he looked over the side. “I’m sure my father will be very disappointed.”

The leader opened his mouth to speak, but turned his attention to the sky as a loud shriek filled the air. He grinned. “Nah, I think he’ll be more worried about dealing with you…”

A new, much darker dragon had taken form in the sky, with none other than Garmadon holding the reigns. Kai stumbled back for a moment, almost backing into Skylor and Harumi. “I’m sorry, you didn’t tell me he could do it too!”

“Go, go, go!” Skylor hissed, pushing Lloyd and Harumi forward. “Make your dragon and get out of here. Kai and I will get the _Bounty._ ”

Lloyd did as he was told, formulating the large green beast and helping Harumi get aboard behind him on the dragon’s back. Harumi wrapped her arms around Lloyd’s waist tightly, and even then, she almost lost her hold when Lloyd almost violently took off into the air.

Like a laser, Garmadon had immediately locked on and dove after them, and his dragon spread an impressive wingspan. Coming in for a quick jab, the dragon’s claws came down to scrape at Lloyd and Harumi, who just narrowly ducked in time. Garmadon’s dragon had flown past Lloyd’s now, and was spewing a burst of purple flames that blocked Lloyd’s view of anything. He could feel his anxiety rise as he helplessly pulled on the reigns, hoping he wouldn’t crash into the side of a skyscraper that he couldn’t see in the way.

Just as the dark energy dissipated, Lloyd was greeted by a pair of claws coming right for the head of his dragon, and as expected, it caused a jolt of pain to run through Lloyd’s body through the dragon, and soon the dragon was gone. Lloyd and Harumi were freefalling, slowly growing further apart as the rushing air threw them around helplessly.

Garmadon had swept in again, this time grabbing Harumi with his own hands, and flew further away before looping around to come for Lloyd. Lloyd’s ears had begun to hurt, filled with a mix of Harumi’s pained screams and the rushing air, and he had hardly notice Garmadon coming forward to grab him by the shirt.

Lloyd was pushed onto his back against the dark dragon’s neck, held down by one of Garmadon’s hands while the other held Harumi by her shirt, dangling her in the air effortlessly. She began to kick her legs and claw at his hand, but Garmadon barely noticed. His glare was so heavily fixed on his son, even at the high speed the dragon was embracing, and Lloyd gulped.

**“I should have seen through you,”** Garmadon snarled, and Lloyd now noticed from the noises stopping that the dragon was coming to land on a rooftop. Garmadon threw Lloyd to the ground hard, and the impact of Lloyd’s face scraping against the gravel caused an ugly cut to run down his left cheek.

**“You’ve been acting strange, but I had assumed you were just maturing,”** Garmadon scoffed to himself as he hopped off of his dragon, still holding Harumi above the ground with one arm **. “How long has this been going on, Lloyd?”**

Lloyd desperately rushed towards Garmadon, reaching for Harumi’s arm, only to be slapped away. 

**“You know how much of a danger this woman poses to me,”** Garmadon looked over Harumi in disgust. The princess’s skin had grown pale, and her eyes were wide like saucers, gaining a small sound of amusement from Garmadon. **“You thought you could go behind my back and help keep her _alive_? It was you who organized the attack on Chen’s Island, wasn’t it? You’re the one who’s killed so many of my soldiers.”**

Lloyd felt a deeper, sinking feeling at the memory. “I would have been recognized-“ He was watching Harumi the whole time, but still finding it incredibly difficult to ignore Garmadon’s evil glare. “J-just let her go, Dad. We can talk this out…”

Garmadon threw Harumi to the ground roughly, and stepped in front of her to keep Lloyd back. “ **She means that much to you? A helpless, defenseless girl who’s only right to the throne is through her parents who were just as undeserving as her? You prefer an Empress who has little experience in war or conflict to an Emperor who fought to gain what he has now?”** Garmadon gestured widely to the city around him. **“Her death will be all I need to make my rule permanent, Lloyd. In one swift stroke, I will have full control, without having to worry about youthful princesses trying to take back the throne.”**

“I told you before, Father,” Lloyd started, wiping away the blood from his face, “you rule unjustly. Working for something and _stealing_ something are two different things.”

**“I have little interest in your arguments,”** Garmadon’s eyes narrowed as he spoke. **“I respected them before, but now it’s just insulting. All that awaits you now after this girl’s death is a life imprisoned.”** Garmadon raised a hand and engulfed it in dark purple flames, and they formed into a long, jagged blade of pure energy. He grabbed onto Harumi by her neck, holding the blade to her chest until-

“No!” Lloyd cried, hurrying forward and sending a large beam of energy straight into Garmadon’s face, sending him stumbling away a few feet while Lloyd grabbed Harumi and stepped in front of her. Garmadon was furious, now raising his fists to fight. The beam had left a sizzling burn on the side of his face, ironically matching the cut along Lloyd’s adjacent cheek.

Suddenly Kai had swung in behind him, raising his stolen katana in the air and bringing it down on Garmadon’s head. The Emperor narrowly avoided it, but acted as if it was nothing, turning around to counterattack with a new pair of energy blades. Kai managed to parry each swing, but was pushed against the wall in a matter of seconds.

Lloyd blasted Garmadon a few more times in the back, giving Kai a window to slip by and come out on Garmadon’s other side, and the two ninja stood side by side with their powers bursting brightly from their hands.

“I thought you went with Skylor,” Lloyd whispered as he continued to watch Garmadon’s every move, and Kai nodded beside him.

“Yeah, well she’s got the easy job,” Kai quipped back. Then, raising his voice for Garmadon to hear, Kai added, “I’d never pass on an opportunity to mop the floor with Tall and Ugly over here.”

**“Are all of your friends this young?”** Garmadon asked, clearly unimpressed. He looked over Kai’s stance before shaking his head. **“Young _and_ sloppy.”**

“I like to learn as I go,” Kai shot back before hurling a couple fireballs, which held Garmadon back long enough for Lloyd to follow through with another centralized beam. Kai brought up the katana again as Garmadon approached, deflecting a few sword attacks and even getting a few offensive swings in. As soon as Garmadon began gaining obvious dominance over Kai’s own ability, Lloyd would switch in, changing up the style and taking Garmadon by surprise, if only for a moment.

Kai attempted to run his sword right through Garmadon’s side as he and Lloyd dueled, but Garmadon caught wind of the idea quickly and kicked both Kai and the katana away. The sword rattled back and forth on the edge of the roof before sliding off. 

Garmadon had taken on a more direct approach with his advances now, forcing Lloyd even further back to where Harumi was, and eventually the Green Ninja had to duck low to stop his father from reaching around for the princess. “Harumi, keep moving,” he ordered, and was then immediately met with another strong swing from Garmadon, which Lloyd only blocked by pushing the swords away with an energy sphere. 

“You need a weapon,” Harumi shook her head in disbelief. 

“I know, I know,” Lloyd groaned, dodging away from another series of swings. He was wishing now more than ever that he’d learned how to form blades with his own power. At least then, he’d solve their weapon problem.

**“Even she sees how futile this is,”** Garmadon laughed, stepping back from his attacks for a moment. **“You’ve grown stronger, but you have much more to learn – ah!!”**

Garmadon was suddenly engulfed in a barrage of cannon fire, and Lloyd looked up in relief to see the _Bounty_ flying up close to the roof, where Skylor was seated at one of the sentry cannons. She was waving for them to hurry onboard, and Lloyd hurriedly pushed Harumi into Kai’s arms and nodded for him to go. Kai did as he was told and threw Harumi across, and while the move was reckless and no doubt would have hurt, Lloyd was much too busy to complain. Kai had jumped across himself now, and Lloyd was left alone with his father.

**“You can’t keep her from me forever,”** he growled with pure hate. **“What you’ve done here has only sealed her fate – and yours.”**

Lloyd took a breath before turning to leap aboard the _Bounty_ , watching out of the corner of his eye as Skylor began firing at Garmadon again, and he now had to duck for cover. 

Kai rushed into the control room and engaged the thrusters, helping the ship to take off high into the sky.

In the next few moments, the three still on the deck stood silently, with Skylor still clutching the controls of the cannon, and Lloyd standing stiff with Harumi’s quietly sobbing face buried into his shoulder. 

_This scenario wouldn’t have been much different if I’d just taken her back to Dad from the very beginning,_ Lloyd thought bitterly. _He would have shown her no less malice than he did now, and would have kicked me away for thinking I could ever keep her._

He closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep.


	35. Empty Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was supposed to come out like a WEEK ago, but thanks to my lack of forethought, I hadn't updated this chapter on Microsoft Word since the first paragraph, and when my laptop decided to suddenly crash, I booted it back up only to find that almost all of the chapter had been lost. So, yeah, I had to rewrite the whole thing, but it ended up somewhat being a good setback, as I'm a lot happier with how this version came out. The scene at the end was originally at the beginning, some scenes were added and others were pushed until future chapters...did a bit of rework but I'm happy with the result. 
> 
> There is a bit of a *spicy* scene at the end although I highly doubt it counts as anything higher than a T rating.

Lloyd never slept. The Green Ninja laid himself out on an old, messy bed in the cabin of the _Bounty_ and tried forcing himself to sleep for about an hour before giving up. The bed itself didn’t help; the mattress was so thin that the corners of the bedposts poked through the material and dug at Lloyd’s back. A mismatched pair of sheets had been thrown onto the floor beside the bed. Lloyd stared at the ceiling and rested his hand on his stomach, feeling his chest heave slowly as the leftover adrenaline from the fight still refused to dissipate.

It wouldn’t be much longer before the _Bounty_ would reach the Monastery. Skylor had kept herself in the command room from the moment Lloyd stepped onto the deck, and he assumed she’d stay there until they arrived. She probably was nervous about facing him now, especially after what she’d risked. Kai had come in once to check on Lloyd, and hadn’t come back since. Harumi was resting in the second cabin.

Lloyd wished he didn’t feel so hesitant around her now. Was it all because of the danger surrounding her that he kept himself from being too close, or did the conflicting feelings after the kiss really have that much of an impact? When he thought she didn’t want his touch, and he had removed his hand, she immediately wanted him back. So why was he getting different messages?

Lloyd let out a small, frustrated sigh. He had never expected that something as harmless as a crush could be so difficult. Since when was a risky battle onboard a tram less stressful than sorting out his feelings for a girl? Why, of all things, did a _kiss_ leave him more distraught and helpless than being bound in chains on Chen’s Island?

Well, maybe that was a bit of a stretch.

He felt rather selfish that his feelings for Harumi were all he could think about. The stakes were higher than ever. Garmadon would be coming after them. Not just him and Harumi. He was coming for _everyone_ , and he’d be going for the kill every single time. The way Harumi made Lloyd feel happy and relaxed would be irrelevant if they were both dead.

A knock came at Lloyd’s door. From the direction of Harumi’s cabin. Lloyd’s heart raced; his eyes widened.

“Come in,” he called, and the door opened.

To both Lloyd’s disappointment and relief at the same time, Kai walked past the door into the cabin instead of a white-haired princess. He had changed out of his disguise and back into his gi now, and a concerned but kind smile crawled across his face. “Hey, Lloyd. You feeling any better?”

Lloyd nodded slowly, looking down from Kai’s face to the items in his hands. Kai followed Lloyd’s eyes and mumbled an, “oh yeah!”

“I brought you some milk and bread,” Kai explained, holding them both out generously. Lloyd took the milk first and took a small sip. “It’s pretty much all we had left from the food we brought along from the Monastery. Sorry if it’s not that great.”

“Its fine,” Lloyd shook his head, taking the bread now as well. “Thanks.”

Kai wobbled back and forth as he looked around the cabin. “So, did you find anything interesting in here? Or were you just sleeping?”

Lloyd scoffed. “The day I manage to sleep with all of… _this,_ ” Lloyd emphasized with his arms generally, referring to the day’s events, “on my mind, is the day that my father gives up his empire and becomes a rice farmer.”

“Wouldn’t that be a sight to see,” Kai chuckled. He pulled a chair over from the corner and sat down across from Lloyd, who brought himself into a seated position to drink the milk more easily. Kai watched Lloyd take a few more bites of the bread before asking, “How confident are you that we can beat your dad?” he asked. The question took Lloyd by surprise, but Kai continued. “I mean, all chances of taking him by surprise are out the window now, which is partly my own fault…” Kai reached behind his neck to rub the skin there awkwardly. “So he’ll be coming directly to us. Do you think we could all take him together? As a team?”

Lloyd was silent for a short moment. “Maybe. I don’t know, it’s hard to say.”

“How?”

“My father’s abilities are very… _odd_ in nature. I don’t think they’re always at the same level, but rather he gets random surges from time to time while in other cases, he’s significantly less powerful. I don’t think he has any control over when or how he gets those surges.” Lloyd squinted thoughtfully. “When you and I fought him on the roof of that building, he was toying with us, really. Half the fight, he was just using Harumi to bait me in, and for the rest of it, he only ever fought with a sword. He didn’t think he even _needed_ to use his powers.”

“But did he seem different?” Kai pressed. “Like, more powerful than usual, like you said?”

“No. But then again, I’ve never been in a real fight with him before today.” Lloyd shook off how weird the feeling still was. “I’ve seen his attacks against opponents up close, but I’ve never known what technique he might use against me. So far, he’s acting like I’m not worth the effort.”

Kai snorted. “He doesn’t _really_ think that, does he? I mean, you’re probably the most powerful elemental of all of us.”

“You’re right, he knows what I’m capable of, and he knows he can’t just brush me aside like I’m nothing. Who knows, maybe in a proper one-on-one, I’d be nearly equal to him.” Lloyd sighed. “But it doesn’t matter when he uses Harumi as a second weapon against me. He’ll probably try doing the same with you guys, if he assumes you mean enough to me to lower my guard.”

“You’ve done a good job of keeping her safe,” Kai assured him, seeing where Lloyd’s train of thought was headed. “I know you’ll probably never forgive me and Skylor for letting Harumi sneak into the city right under Garmadon’s nose-“

Lloyd huffed.

“-but she was willing to do for you everything you have done for her. She may be a primary target of your dad, but she’s no damsel in distress, either. If she had even half the power you have, I’m sure she’d be on the battlefield all alone, blasting through snakes and bikers just to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, she would,” Lloyd nodded. Despite how unsure he was about how deep her feelings for him went, he was at least positive that she’d always have his back. “I have to do this for her, you know? I have to defeat my father – _kill_ him, if I have to – and set things right. I have to make sure that, when I’m done, she’ll be rightfully seated on that throne, not my father. She’ll be the ruler Ninjago needs to be made better.”

“What if she isn’t ready?” Kai’s question forces Lloyd to ponder a different response.

“Is anyone ready? For any of this? The people will have to be understanding and patient.” Lloyd almost didn’t notice one of his hands clench into a fist. “They should be grateful that they’re even freed at that point.”

“Slow down, pal,” Kai laughed nervously. “No need to be upset on Harumi’s behalf for something that hasn’t even happened yet.”

“Hmm?” Lloyd blinked several times and his eyes fixed on Kai as if he hadn’t noticed him the whole time. “Oh, yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“You do that more than you think.”

“Do what? Be angry for her?”

“No, balling your hands into fists,” Kai pointed out. “It was a lot more extreme that time back in Nom, you know. Your fight with Mr. E? You got pretty violent.”

“Yeah, I know.” Lloyd’s eyebrows furled, and he scowled down at his hands. “I can’t just erase the past two decades of my life, Kai. I’ve always been violent. And being a ninja doesn’t exactly put me on a different path.” Lloyd folded his hands in his lap and looked back to Kai. “I guess that’s just something I’ll have to make peace with.”

“Harumi, too,” Kai added.

“She already knows…” Lloyd let out a tired sigh. “We should get moving around. How much time until we reach the Monastery?”

Kai scratched his head for a second before answering, “About half an hour now.”

Lloyd nodded silently and got to his feet, walking past Kai to the door. He reached for the doorknob, but Kai’s hand held him back.

“You should go talk to her,” Kai nodded in the opposite direction, towards the second cabin. “She’s probably scared out of her mind after Garmadon almost killed her like that.”

“She’s been sleeping,” Lloyd protested, surprising even himself. Why was he so hesitant to talk to her now?

“I’m sure she hasn’t,” Kai shook his head. “If you can’t sleep, she hasn’t slept either.”

“It’s my fault my dad is trying to kill her-“

“No, it’s not,” Kai laughed dryly, giving Lloyd a look of disbelief. “He wanted her dead way back before you even _met_ her.”

“But now he knows I care for her.”

“Which means he should be ready for our one and only Green Ninja to give this upcoming fight his all,” Kai stated firmly, patting Lloyd on the shoulder. “And that ninja will have his whole team right alongside him.”

Lloyd found it hard to respond. He hadn’t even thought much of the team back home; the fight would no doubt drain them all, if not kill them. Only three members of the team even had any longtime experience with their powers, and the rest were all new students of Wu. Kai, Nya, Cole, and then the two droids Zane and Pixal. A memory of a certain Phantom Ninja crossed his mind, and he mentally added her to the list. He had almost forgotten she’d gone home with the others, what with staying behind for Garmadon to find.

Finally, Lloyd smiled. He was far from confident in this team yet, but he determined that he would be before Garmadon’s arrival. “Alright, Kai. Good to know you’ve got my back.”

“Good, I was hoping that this whole rescue mission was enough to get the message across,” Kai joked. “Maybe now that we’ve got the team back together, you can teach us all how you’re able to make a freakin’ dragon with your powers.” Kai grinned. “It is _possible_ to make a fire dragon, right?”

“I don’t know if we have enough time for you to learn that,” Lloyd shrugged. “I’m still a bit rusty at it.”

“Garmadon’s face plus giant fire-breathing dragon equals ‘we win’,” Kai offered, and Lloyd pushed the idea away.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Oh, come _on_ …”

* * *

“So, how’d it go with Blondie?” Skylor asked, an interested look crossing her features as Kai entered into the command room behind her. “Is he already concocting a plan to go solo again?”

Kai frowned.

“Too soon?” Skylor clicked her tongue. “Gotcha.”

“He’s doing better, I think,” Kai answered her question now, coming to stand beside the assassin and watch the distant clouds. “It’s hard to know what’s going through that guy’s head sometimes, but he’s dedicated to engaging Garmadon head-on and ending this mess. After some persuasion, I think he’s starting to take comfort in the thought that he’s got us all by his side.”

Skylor laughed. “As opposed to being disturbed at the thought?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. How about you?”

“Hmm?”

“You know what I’m asking,” Kai pressed. “You feeling good about this team Wu’s brought together? I know you still think we’re all idiots or whatever, including Lloyd-“

“You’re all more amusing than you are a nuisance,” Skylor answered cryptically, and Kai let out a low whistle.

“Ooooookaayyy. I guess that’s a compliment?”

Skylor grinned. “Yeah, take it and like it, cuz that’s the best you’re gonna get for now.” She looked Kai over for a moment, and then stepped away from the controls to face him. “If anything, however, you’ve earned my respect. You threw yourself out here just to save a man who’s only been a pain in our butts until recently, despite the risks. Sure, it was a stupid plan-“

“Wasn’t _my_ plan. I joined in on your little escapade at the last minute.”

“We’ve gotta be fair,” Skylor held up a hand. “Harumi’s the one who made this happen in the first place. It was her plan more than mine.”

“Blaming it all on the princess? Very mature, Miss Chen.” Kai folded his arms and feigned a disappointed glare, but both he and Skylor burst out laughing, just to ruin the façade.

“I see you enjoy arguing quite a bit,” Skylor commented. “Lloyd’s the same way, except he’s still a major pain in my butt. You’re, eh…slightly less painful.”

“Gee, thanks.”

The two smiled at each other for a few long moments before realization hit them. Skylor looked away with a twisted expression. “Did we just…?”

“Act like a pair of friends instead of two people who hate each other’s guts? Yeah, it’s weird.” Kai ran a finger across his chin for a moment. “It wasn’t too long ago I was more than willing to hand you over to Garmadon or at _least_ the authorities.”

Skylor scoffed. “If it was anyone _other_ than Garmadon, I’d just get out.”

Kai didn’t say anything to that.

* * *

“He’s a Ninja-bot,” Cole announced proudly as he and Zane walked over to where Jay and Nya were sat conversing. Seliel and Pixal followed closely along. Seliel wanted to see the other’s reactions to Cole’s idea, and Pixal was just fascinated with human interaction, so it was a done deal.

Nya giggled. “A Ninja-bot? That’s not cool-sounding _or_ clever.”

“That’s what I said,” Seliel spoke up, giving Cole a shy but unapologetic smile when he glanced back at her. 

“It’s gotta be something that rolls right off the tongue,” Jay decided, and began considering ideas for a few moments. When he came across one in particular, he grinned. “Nindroid.”

“Nindroid?” Cole asked, just as Seliel and Nya both said, “Perfect!” in unison.

Zane was simply amused at the whole thing. “A Nindroid. Hmm. Sounds strange, but it’s fitting enough. Thank you, Captain Walker.”

“Call me Jay,” the pirate assured him.

“Of course,” Zane nodded.

“Whatever, I tried,” Cole gave up, and Seliel chuckled beside him.

“Maybe coming up with nicknames just isn’t your strong suit.” The Phantom Ninja brushed a streak of pink hair out of her face and looked around. “Hey, has anyone seen Sensei lately? I don’t think I’ve seen him around since breakfast.”

“He’s worried.” Nya frowned, looking in the direction of the Monastery’s rooms. “I think he’s trying to use the Spirit Smoke to help him know what Lloyd’s up against.”

“Speaking of which, here he comes,” Cole corrected as he turned to see the old man hurrying outside to meet them. In his hand was a cell phone – the one that Kai hadn’t taken – and it was vibrating in his palm. 

“This… _thing_ has been going off multiple times and I think Kai may be trying to contact us.” Wu held out the phone to Cole hurriedly, and for the first time, the Earth Ninja could see a mixture of both hope and dread in his sensei’s eyes. Cole scrolled through the screen, checking for missed calls.

“Well?” Seliel asked, placing a hand on her hip. “Is it Kai or not?”

Cole continued scrolling until a certain point, when his bushy eyebrows rose high and his bottom eyelids curled a bit in a look of satisfaction. “There’s seven messages left by their phone,” Cole said, still staring at the screen. “Things must not be too bad if they at least have a signal.”

“Would they not be able to communicate with us inside of the city?” Wu asked curiously. “I apologize; I have never owned a cell phone before.”

“It’s alright, Sensei,” Jay cracked a smile. 

“Yeah, Garmadon’s got the city locked up tight physically and virtually,” Nya nodded. “Phones work inside of the city, but there’s no chance getting a call to someone so far away.”

Cole finally pressed his finger against the screen on one of the messages, and held it up to his ear.

“Phone hog!” Jay accused. “Just put it on speaker for the rest of us.”

“Alright, alright,” Cole rolled his eyes, but did as Jay suggested. A moment later, a voice rang out from the speaker, but it wasn’t Kai’s.

_“Hey, guys, I know you’re probably ticked off at us, but would it kill you to pick up the phone?”_ Skylor asked in a very aggravated tone of voice. _“If you at least get this message, for like the **twentieth** time or something, I’m gonna recap what’s happened all over again. We’ve got Lloyd, but things didn’t go as planned.”_

Each member of the team seemed to be overshadowed with relief and uncertainty at the same time. 

_“Garmadon knows that Lloyd’s on our side, and he’s after Harumi, too. He…he nearly killed her…”_

Cole and Jay both sighed heavily at that, shaking their heads in disappointment.

Skylor’s recording continued. _“We managed to get away on the_ Bounty _but I have a feeling Garmadon will be picking up our trail soon enough. At the time I’m saying all of this, we’re about an hour out.”_

“When was this message sent?” Seliel asked, now peeking over Cole’s shoulder at the phone. 

“Forty-five minutes ago,” Cole read off, his voice getting more excited as the words registered. “They’ll be here anytime now.”

_“If you get this message, call me back,”_ Skylor’s recorded voice groaned. _“Please. Like, seriously. If not a single one of you can pick up the freakin’ phone, I swear I’m gonna-“_

Cole ended the message there, avoiding whatever manslaughter the assassin was no doubt going to announce. “We need to be ready for them to get here. What do you say, Sensei?”

The man was stroking his long beard thoughtfully, hanging his head low so that the wide brim of his rice hat concealed whatever expression crossed his features. “The princess is no doubt distraught, if not traumatized. Pixal, please go make sure Harumi’s room is ready for her when she gets here.”

“But what about Garmadon?” Jay’s voice heightened, and he now stepped closer to Wu. “You heard what Skylor said – he’s probably tracking the _Bounty_ down right now. For all we know, she might be bringing a whole battalion of soldiers right behind her.”

“It is difficult to make a decision on this so quickly,” Wu shook his head. “We won’t be able to do _anything_ until Lloyd is with us again.”

“And Skylor,” Cole folded his arms. Wu turned to give Cole an unreadable look, and the Earth Ninja grinned. “She _is_ the last ninja, right? Counting the students you’ve already taken on, that makes seven ninja, just like the prophecy said.”

“That’s up to her to decide, I suppose,” Wu answered cryptically.

“You suppose?” Nya exclaimed. “It’s a _prophecy._ How is it her choice to make?”

“There are things that even I do not understand about the ancient scrolls,” Wu admitted. “Just because Skylor’s path has merged with your own, doesn’t mean that she is definitely the last member of the team. The scroll never states that all ninja come together at the same time. It could be years.”

“You always seemed so sure,” Jay folded his arms. “There never seemed to be a doubt in your mind that things were fitting into place just fine.”

“Maybe it’s Seliel?” Cole offered, and the Phantom Ninja giggled awkwardly.

“I..me…um…no.”

“She doesn’t have powers, Cole,” Jay pointed out.

“Did the prophecy _say_ that all of the ninja had powers?” Nya tried thinking back.

“The prophecy specifically said elemental masters, I remember that for a fact,” Jay shook his head. “Technically, the term ‘ninja’ was never used.”

“Enough!” Wu yelled in an uncharacteristic way, instantly shutting up each of his students. They all stood around quietly for a while, looking at Wu and then at each other.

“It is best that we not be so questioning of Sensei Wu,” Zane spoke for the first time since the argument began. The neat firm lines of the Nindroid’s gi stretched out as he straightened his shoulders. “In the short time I have known you, Sensei,” Zane nodded to the man, “I have known you to be honest and wise. If there is more to this prophecy that we do not understand, then we will take you at your word when you say that we should be patient. Whether Skylor is the seventh ninja or not, we still need to prepare ourselves to fight if the moment presents itself.”

Cole felt a lump in the back of his throat as his eyes glanced down in shame. “Zane’s right, we’re just wasting time disputing over a prophecy none of us have even read for ourselves.” He looked around. “Am I right?” Cole was answered with unanimous nodding of heads.

“I guess I would much rather save my energy for Garmadon,” Jay agreed. 

“I’m glad your heads are all straightened,” Wu sighed, and then patted Zane’s shoulder with the end of his staff. “Thank you, Zane.”

A whirring interrupted Zane from responding, and it quickly grew louder. The sound of engines quickly overpowered the excited hollers from Cole and Nya, who recognized the faded red hull of the _Bounty_ immediately. The vessel came to nestle gently beside the Monastery’s walls.

Four figures soon came into view, and for a few moments, Cole and Nya forgot the dread of the situation as they ran up to greet them. Kai entered first, looking tired but still wearing his cocky grin, and Lloyd helped Harumi along, hand in hand. Skylor slowly walked in behind the other three.

“Kai!” Nya exclaimed giddily, wrapping her arms around her brother’s taller frame and burying her face into his shoulder. “You _idiot_ , I thought the next time I saw you would be in one of Garmadon’s public executions. Honestly, I don’t know what goes through that thick skull of yours…” The Water Ninja sounded angry, but the glad tears streaming down her cheeks proved otherwise. Kai chuckled in response.

“Good to see you too, sis.”

Lloyd gave a small smile at the siblings’ reunion before moving past them, and stopping briefly to face Wu. “Uncle Wu. I’m sorry if my plan caused any trouble for y-“

“I’m fine, Lloyd, we’re all fine,” Wu waved it off quickly, managing a smile. “We have you back, that’s what matters.”

Lloyd’s face fell. “I don’t know if you got our messages but…”

“My brother will show himself when he believes we are at our weakest,” Wu droned knowingly. “But now that this team has its leader…well, I’d say we couldn’t be better.”

“But he’s going to find us sooner than later,” Lloyd protested, gritting his teeth sourly.

“That is inevitable now, and we can only look to the future,” Wu spoke sadly, but gestured for Lloyd to walk past. “I’m sure that you and Harumi are both very tired.” He gave the princess a small glance, but she hardly seemed to notice. Her eyes were glued to the floor. “I’ve had Pixal prepare her bedroom. Can you take her down or would you like someone else to help?”

“I can take her,” Lloyd replied instinctively, noticing how his hand clutched Harumi’s just a bit tighter. Wu nodded, and Lloyd kept walking, and Harumi followed beside him.

* * *

“You’re not even looking at me,” Lloyd noticed as he and Harumi walked down the long hallway to the bedrooms. She seemed to slightly wince at the mention, and her eyes finally met his. They were so much more frightened than he’d ever seen. Harumi’s bottom lip slightly quivered, and she stopped walking, and Lloyd did the same. He hadn’t expected her to embrace him in a long, silent hug, but he relaxed into it. Warm tears left small wet spots on Lloyd’s gi.

“Let’s get to the room,” Lloyd managed to mutter, feeling very helpless in a situation like this. On one side, he was pretty terrible at comforting people – especially when tears were involved – and on the other, his body _relished_ the feeling of being so close to Harumi. He pushed away the latter, and after a moment, Harumi nodded and let go, allowing Lloyd to continue leading her to the room.

As they neared the door, Pixal filed out quickly. “Ah, Master Lloyd.” 

Lloyd frowned. That didn’t sound right…

“Your highness,” Pixal bowed to Harumi, but the princess was too deep in a mess of tears and shudders to hardly acknowledge Pixal. Lloyd gave the robot an apologetic look and helped Harumi inside.

The room felt so empty. It had been a while since Harumi had been given this room by Wu, but she’d never taken the time to really make it her own. The plain tan walls and thin carpeted floors hardly had any furniture touching them. Aside from the small bed in the corner, an equally small dresser, and a chest to hold her belongings, there was barely anything that made this place _Harumi’s_ room.

Lloyd wished he had the time to decorate it with her. He knew it would at least make her smile, maybe take her mind off of the dark blade that had nearly pierced her stomach.

Lloyd allowed Harumi to slowly walk around, feeling even worse when he saw her legs wobbling behind her. After a moment, however, the princess collected herself, and neatly sat herself down on the edge of her bed. Harumi’s tear-filled eyes shot over to Lloyd, and she waved him over with a shaky hand. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but then she shut it. Her lips curled uncontrollably into the beginnings of another sob, and Lloyd hurried over quickly, as if somehow his presence beside her would immediately cease her tears.

He really felt so stupid sometimes.

Lloyd sat down right beside her, and his hand swung over to cover hers which was nervously digging its fingers into the bed covers. They looked at each other for a while, sometimes eye-to-eye, sometimes looking each other over for scrapes and bruises – of which they both had a good amount – and sometimes down at their held hands.

Harumi’s voice cracked as she spoke. “I’m _sorry_ -“

“You aren’t responsible for _anything_ ,” Lloyd burst out quickly, shaking his head quickly as he could see more tears welling up beneath Harumi’s eyes. “Harumi, it’s _my_ fault I couldn’t keep him from getting hold of you. You’re safe now, alright?”

Harumi seemed to take comfort in the thought. Still, her tired, scared eyes bore into his. “I shouldn’t have gone after you…” She sniffed. “You had good intentions all along, and if I had just _trusted_ you to protect yourself in the city, I wouldn’t have bossed Skylor around like a _terrible_ friend and made things so, _so_ much worse.” 

“…there’s no way of knowing if that would have ended any different,” Lloyd argued. “He was already suspecting that something in me had changed. Who knows, maybe he had already figured it out before you showed up.”

“ _Stop_ trying to shift the blame,” Harumi’s voice lowered, but she wasn’t mad at him. She was mad at herself and the situation. 

“Sorry, I’m just trying to help you feel better,” Lloyd insisted.

“Then stay,” Harumi pleaded quickly, her eyes lighting up with a bit of hope that she knew deep down could easily be extinguished.

Lloyd’s eyes widened and he looked around the room. He looked back at Harumi and shook his head regretfully. “Rumi, I can’t. You know he’s going to be coming to finish the fight. I have to be ready for him.”

Harumi made a small, tear-filled sound, and found herself in a mix of emotions. She knew he was _absolutely_ right, and yet her heart desperately desired to keep him close by. “I know, I just…well, I _don’t_ know!” She shut her eyes tight and tried to keep herself from crying again. “Lloyd, I _need_ you to stay here. Just for a _little_ bit, please.”

“Rumi…”

Harumi’s arms snaked around Lloyd’s body and then she kissed him. Lloyd got into it far quicker than he liked to admit, and his hands came down to rest on her hips. The princess turned herself to face Lloyd forward, and as her lips pressed further, so did her entire body. Lloyd held a hand behind him in order to brace himself from the sudden weight, and found himself getting lost in the feeling.

He basked in how soft and full her lips were, how her hot tears slipped from her cheeks and down his, how her long white hair tickled his chin and neck whenever she slightly tilted her head. One of Harumi’s hands rested on his left shoulder, while she twisted her fingers through his thick blonde hair with the other. Soon enough, she worked her way into Lloyd’s lap, and her chest pressed against his and-

“Wait,” Lloyd breathed out, pulling out of the kiss after oxygen became significantly more crucial. Harumi’s eyes were filled with relief and a bit of ease, but Lloyd feared the amount of fear she probably saw in his. He would be irresponsible by putting the lives of everyone in the Monastery on the line like this, making out with a hot princess while his team prepared for the fight of their lives without their leader present.

At least he wasn’t getting nearly as many mixed messages this time. Harumi ran out of patience and leaned in to kiss Lloyd again, confirming far beyond the necessary answer that she didn’t mind the attention he gave her. This kiss was shorter, and she pulled back only seconds after capturing his bottom lip. “Lloyd, I’ve felt like this about you for a while…” She pressed in with another kiss and pulled back again, all while Lloyd stared at her with no idea how to respond. “I think we’ve _both_ made it pretty clear how we feel, haven’t we?”

Lloyd stuttered unintelligibly as he scrambled for words.

“I know this isn’t the best time and this is the last thing I want any of the others to catch me doing with you…” Harumi sighed, and Lloyd could see red rising in her cheeks. “But it was bound to happen eventually, and I really want you to know before he comes and I…” Harumi bit her lip. “I just want you to know how I feel, no matter what happens next.”

Lloyd took a deep breath. Now was the time to put away his rushing emotions – and his ego – and go help the team. The completely satisfying feeling of knowing that she _did_ return his feelings so passionately was almost enough to keep the princess in his lap, but he was supposed to be better than that.

“Harumi, I have to _go_ ,” Lloyd whispered, and he watched a handful of emotions cross Harumi’s face before she nodded sadly. She scooted backwards out of his lap and back onto the bed, while Lloyd slowly stood to his feet. One more glance at Harumi’s full lips brought more temptation to the forefront of his mind, and he tried his best to ignore it. He turned his back on her, nearing the door until-

“I love you.” The words came out as a quiet whisper from Harumi, but it was clear enough for Lloyd to hear. He turned back to her, and she was looking at him with a face that was as red as his own probably was. Still, she looked at him confidently, not backing down from her gesture, and Lloyd hated being in the position of having to answer.

“Don’t say that,” Lloyd shook his head, although it pained him to do so.

“Why?” Harumi’s face fell.

Lloyd swallowed hard. He tried to speak, but he refrained. After a quick glance at Harumi, he hurried out of the room and shut the door behind him.

She didn’t love him. She _couldn’t_. Not now, not when such a thought would make it that much harder to leave her in that room alone when his father would arrive.

Not when such a thought would make it that much harder to let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five chapters left...yay, I guess lol


	36. The Snake Has Spoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lloyd tries out that whole "team" thing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long one ;)

The night passed, and Garmadon never made an appearance at the top of the Monastery’s steps. 

The next morning, there was still no sign of the dark emperor, and the remainder of the day gave the same results. Two more days passed, and the ninja had begun to feel impatient and nervous.

Such suspense nearly drove the team mad. In response, Wu suggested that the team start trying group meditation as a way of becoming more unified, and they all agreed. Legs crossed with hands on their knees, each of the ninja sat in a large circle and shut their eyes in concentration. Lloyd, from where he sat between Nya and Cole, struggled to find his center. With so many thoughts and emotions whirling around in his head – most of which having to do with the princess who was left in her room alone – Lloyd found it much more difficult to focus.

Still, he had to be strong for this team, didn’t he?

Lloyd could hear the calm, pleasant breathing from those seated around him, and the quiet sound of cherry blossom leaves floating overhead. Lloyd noticed a stirring sound from inside the Monastery – Wu was making his tea, he deduced. Tea was sounding very good right about now. 

And it was also taking his mind out of meditation.

In another effort, Lloyd bowed his head under the bright sun that would otherwise blind him. As a strange idea came to mind, Lloyd brought his hands to his waist and loosened the belt of his gi. The folds came loose as well, still held together but no longer grabbing onto Lloyd’s upper body so firmly. The fabric was lightly blown around by the wind, giving the cool air more access to Lloyd’s covered skin through the undershirt. The feeling didn’t quite compare to riding the elemental energy dragon up into the sky, but it felt somewhat similar. 

Kai sneezed randomly, and a few of the team made disappointed sounds. 

“We’re trying to focus, Kai,” Jay groaned.

“Not my fault I have the sniffles!” Kai opened his eyes now, and found that Jay was glaring right back at him already. “You know I’ve never been good at this, Jay. I’d rather be _training_ , not sitting here trying to act peaceful.”

“Way to ruin the mood, guys,” Nya sighed a bit dramatically, and opened her own eyes. Seliel and Cole had done the same, as well.

The Earth Ninja peered down at his wrist and let out a low whistle. “Twenty-two full minutes, fellas. I think that’s a new record.”

“I believe Sensei said he expected us to meditate for at least an hour,” Jay pointed out, but his tone revealed he was perfectly fine with ending the session prematurely. “But hey, I’d say that Kai’s got a point. Meditation won’t do a whole lot to help us prepare for fighting the Dark Lord himself. You know how many times I meditated after becoming a pirate?” Jay grinned. “None.”

“Ohhhh, so _that’s_ why Skylor was able to trick you and haul you off to Chen’s Island so easily?” Kai snickered.

Skylor made an amused sound from where she sat with her eyes still closed shut. “To be fair, I tricked _all_ of you.”

“Not me,” Pixal said cheerily.

With a roll of her eyes, Skylor nodded. “True, Pix, true.”

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Seliel spoke up, and everyone’s heads turned to pay attention. “Why has it been days and Garmadon still hasn’t come after us? Is he expecting us to come back like a bunch of idiots or something?”

Skylor nodded towards Lloyd, whose eyes were still closed. “If you want to ask anyone, ask our _Green Ninja_ over there.”

Lloyd’s eyes remained shut. “I’m not sure why he hasn’t come yet,” he admitted. “He’s no doubt putting a plan into motion. Maybe he’s trying to make us think he’s not coming so that our guard will be down when he attacks.”

“You really have no idea why he’s waiting?” Nya asked suspiciously. “Even despite being his son?”

“If I truly understood the way my father thinks and perceives things, I would have set a plan of my own in motion long ago,” Lloyd explained. “I would have seen his next moves coming and set a trap for him. But I _don’t_ know how he’s thinking about any of this right now. Right now, he’s got the betrayal of his son and a team of trained ninja on his mind.”

“So he might act brashly,” Cole suggested.

“Or it could be even more reason to plan this out carefully,” Lloyd countered. “The only thing we have on our side is the fact that he doesn’t know what to expect from us. He doesn’t know our powers, our strengths, our individual ability – none of it.”

“But do we know what to expect from him?” Seliel asked.

“Mostly. But as I was telling Kai before on the _Bounty_ , my father’s powers can often be unpredictable.” Lloyd finally opened his eyes. “He could either be stronger or weaker than the last time I faced him. It’s impossible to say what kind of opponent we’ll be going against.” After a moment of silence, Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Actually, I just thought of something that may give us another advantage.”

“I’m listening,” Kai exclaimed.

“Skylor, remember when we used that mental bond back on the island?” Lloyd looked across at the redhead, who nodded but seemed reluctant. “Do you think that you can do that with all of us?”

Skylor raised an eyebrow. “You mean you want me to link everyone to me individually?”

“No, I want us all linked _together_ ,” Lloyd folded his arms. “Sensei always says that we should fight as a team with _one_ mind. If we could all be mentally linked, we would literally accomplish that.”

Skylor pursed her lips. “I’ve never tried that before.”

“Wait, so if we did this, everyone would be able to hear my thoughts?” Kai asked, now more hesitant than before. “That’s, uh…a bit weird.”

“There’s a way to keep your thoughts under control while linked,” Skylor assured him. “When Lloyd and I did it, we were running for our lives and didn’t have enough time to establish anything more than a rushed, messy bond.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Lloyd added, “because once we’ve all grown accustomed to the link, I’m going to send Jay and Nya on a quick trip.”

Jay cleared his throat. “Come again?”

“You’re going to take the _Bounty_ and find your old crew. Convince them to come back and fight with us, and we’ll not only have a crew of pirates to back us up, but your airship as well. The mental link will make sure you guys are in constant communication with the rest of us here at the Monastery while you’re gone. This way, we don’t have to worry about not getting signal across.”

Jay slowly nodded. “I can’t promise that they’ll agree to help, but I’ll do my best.”

“So not only do you want me to make a mental bond between all seven of us…” Skylor started.

“Don’t forget Seliel and Pixal,” Lloyd cut in. “We’re gonna need us _all_ thinking as one.”

“…but you also want it to be a strong enough bond to keep Jay and Nya connected even when they’re miles and miles away?” Skylor sighed. “I mean, it’s not impossible, but it’ll take a lot of energy out of me.”

“As in?” Lloyd asked.

“I’ll probably need a nice, long nap,” Skylor admitted. “That kind of power really drains a gal.”

“I’ll make sure to ask Wu for extra pillows,” Cole joked. “Sounds like a plan to me, Lloyd. What do we have to do? Like, do we all have to be thinking the same thing for it to work, or…?”

“Just keep your mind calm and focus on me,” Skylor said as she moved to sit in the middle of the circle. The ninja scooted over a bit to close the circle, and Skylor began, shutting her eyes tightly and tapping a few fingers against her forehead. A soft, almost welcoming knocking sound echoed through everyone’s minds, and they each answered it. After a few more moments, Skylor let out a sound of exhaustion and relaxed her muscles. The knocking stopped and everyone’s eyes opened again.

 _That was so weird,_ Cole sent across the bond to everyone.

 _Agreed,_ Nya sent back. _We all sound like we’re really just talking to each other. It’s…sort of freaky._

“In order to keep your minds clear and not send _everything_ you’re thinking to everyone, you’ll just have to get used to it,” Skylor explained out loud, watching the group of surprised ninja staring at each silently while their thoughts did the talking. “And please don’t be doing that while we’re all right next to each other, because that’ll give me a headache.”

 _Whatever you say,_ Kai thought. “Uh, I mean, whatever you say.”

Skylor stood to her feet and waved behind her as she walked to the doors. “I’m going to take that nap now. Let me know if Garmadon tries killing me in my sleep.”

* * *

“So, what makes you think that Flintlocke and the other pirates are all the way out here in this… _cluster_ of islands?” Nya asked as she gestured around at the surroundings. The _Bounty_ flew overhead slowly, out of Jay’s own concern that a patrol unit may pick up movement, even out in the middle of nowhere. 

The pirate looked over his shoulder at Nya and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not positive that they’ll be out here, but it’s the best guess I’ve had in a while. This place made the most sense, since Flintlocke has _always_ talked about wanting to come here one day.” Jay chuckled. “I’m almost upset that he came here without me.”

“And this place is…?”

“The Isles of Sunsato.” Jay straightened the eyepatch on his face, gaining an amused giggle from Nya. “The village nuts back home always talked about some kind of treasure here, but I’ve heard that the view itself is more than worth the trip.”

“Still going with the eyepatch, huh?” Nya nudged Jay’s shoulder teasingly, and the Blue Ninja seemed taken aback by her before grinning back. 

“Well, I can’t be too soft on my own crew when we get them back, can I? Besides, they’ve only known me this way. I think it would be sort of weird.”

Nya looked over Jay’s face for a moment and shook her head. “I don’t know; I like you either way. The fact that the eyepatch was fake all along took away some of the mystery though, you know?”

“How so?”

“I don’t know, I guess the eyepatch always made me assume that such a _thrill-seeking_ pirate such as yourself had a nasty scar underneath that patch of leather.” Nya giggled again. “But, no, all the eyepatch was doing was hiding one of your pretty eyes.” Nya batted her eyelashes teasingly before breaking into laughter, pulling Jay along.

“Pretty, huh?”

“Mhm.” 

A soft wind blew through Nya’s hair, and she quickly brushed the strands out of her face with her hand, and like an opening veil, it revealed the admiring, almost _loving_ look that Jay was giving her. Nya expected herself to blush or look away, but she instead found herself looking right back. What was it Kai had warned her about boys? They’re too eager or something?

The thought only remained in her mind for a brief moment, and the Water Ninja decided to break the silence. “Um…so…” her eyes looked everywhere else before a large object on the islands below them caught her eye. “Your ship! It’s right there on the shore!”

Jay walked over to the window and peered out, pushing his right elbow against the wall beside him. Nya watched as a wide smile crossed Jay’s mouth, and she realized she was smiling just as much. Jay turned back to her, and with a wave of his hand, motioned for her to follow him onto the deck. “We’ll have to get off here. Have to keep this bird airborne in case we need to make a quick escape.”

“Maybe I should stay onboard to keep the engines running and be keep an eye out for patrol units,” Nya offered, but Jay shook his head quickly.

“No need. I’ve got the _Bounty_ on autopilot, and those patrol units would be making a foolish mistake by attacking us when we’ve got _two_ largescale ships.” Now on the deck, Jay pulled a hand crank, and a long ladder began extending from the ship down to the sand below. A good extra bit of ladder and rope piled at the bottom. “Head on down, and I’ll be right behind you. Stay sharp.”

Nya nodded silently and did as Jay suggested, slowly making her descent down the ladder. Jay followed close by.

As Jay and Nya approached the small camp that had been set up beside the parked _Misfortune’s Keep,_ they could hear singing and laughter from inside. Jay came up along a small hole in one of the walls and took a peek, recognizing the group of pirates right away. In the center of the room was Flintlocke, clothed in his usual maroon and orange fatigues with green epaulettes set neatly on each shoulder. Dozens of pirates danced all around him, singing a tune that Jay knew too well.

_“I’d trade all the gold that we have reaped!”_

Jay began tapping his foot to the tune, earning a quiet laugh from Nya.

_“I’d trade all the gold that we have reaped! I’d trade all the gold that we have reaped! For one more cold night on Misfortune’s Keeeeeeep!”_

The camp erupted into laughter, and Jay decided to make his entrance. The pirate offhandedly hit the end of his nunchucks against a post of wood, and the camp grew silent for a moment, and then several pirates drew their swords and guns.

Flintlocke, however, seemed to recognize his captain right away. “Captain _Walker_!” he exclaimed joyously, sauntering over to offer a handshake. Jay accepted it with a smile of his own. “I figured it would be a much longer time before we met again, since you made it sound like this ninja thing was going to be a mainstay.”

“It still is, Flintlocke,” Jay nodded. “But the situation is a lot bigger than that now, or my status as captain to you all.” Jay motioned around the camp. “I haven’t come to take up my duties as captain again yet, but to ask for you to fight by our side against an enemy that we don’t know very well.”

Flintlocke’s eyes shifted from Jay to Nya as whispers filled the camp, and he nodded his head up slightly. He looked back to Jay. “We’ve never backed out of a fight before, Captain. Through island warlords and Tiger Widows, we’ve always pulled out on top. Who are we fighting this time?”

Jay braced for the crew’s reactions. “It’s Emperor Garmadon, Flintlocke. He’s coming for us soon.”

Now Flintlocke’s promise of trust was put to the test. The man’s eyes faltered for a few moments, only for his shoulders to straighten and his throat to clear. “Ay aye, Captain. You just tell us when and where.”

Dogshank made a sound of slight disagreement from behind Flintlocke, and the large, muscular woman stepped forward. “I don’t doubt your own abilities, Captain,” she admitted. “Your power over the lightning has never ceased to win us the victory when all hope has seemed lost. But you’re talking about challenging the most powerful elemental there is!”

Murmurs of both agreement and hesitation circled around Dogshank.

“I know it sounds impossible, but you have to understand that it’s not just us anymore, Dogshank!” Jay exclaimed. Reaching over, he wrapped a gentle arm around Nya and pulled her close to him. “You’ve all met Nya before. Just like me, she controls one of the earth’s elements. Nya can form water and bend the very oceans to her will.”

Nya cleared her throat, insinuating that she wasn’t nearly _that_ powerful yet, but Jay kept talking.

“Her brother, Kai, someone I have come to see as a good friend and even better fighter, has power over fire. He’s even more stubborn than I am, and gives the fight everything he’s got. And another friend of mine, Cole-“

“The performer’s kid?” Flintlocke asked.

“Yes. He can control the earth itself, pulling chunks of rock and dirt out of the ground with ease.”

“They’ve really become that powerful since we left you at that Monastery?” Dogshank asked skeptically.

Jay felt Nya nudge his shoulder and nodded. “Yes. They’ve all impressed me more than I would have ever expected. And there’s even more of them now. A robot who’s a ninja, too! A _nindroid_ named Zane, who can control the ice. Garmadon’s son Lloyd is getting stronger every day, commanding a power that I don’t think even he understands the fullest potential of.”

“And what about Chen’s daughter, Skylor?” Flintlocke asked. “Is she gonna be a problem?”

Nya spoke up before Jay, shaking her head and explaining, “She’s on our side now. Skylor wants to see Garmadon dead just as much as we do.”

Dogshank laughed. “Who doesn’t?”

“The point is,” Jay continued, catching Flintlocke’s attention again, “that the odds are looking rather good for us this time. Seven elementals, a wise old man, a skilled Phantom Ninja and another Nindroid…” Jay grinned. “Add in the greatest pirate crew in Ninjago, and you’ve got a recipe for Garmadon-pummeling.”

Flintlocke pondered the idea for a while before turning his head. “Hey, Clancee, what do you think?”

The Serpentine pirate stumbled forward in surprise, stuttering, “W-what d-do you want m-my op-p-pinion for?”

Flintlocke shrugged his shoulders. “You may be a lousy shot-“

“H-hey…”

“-but you’ve always had a level head. You think that we’ve got a chance going against the emperor himself?”

Clancee’s eyes widened and his slimy mouth hung open a few times. “I-I w-wouldn’t qu-question my c-captain’s judgement, F-Flintlocke.” The loyal snake gave Jay an awkward but sincere smile. “I’d l-lay down m-my life for y-you, Captain W-Walker.”

“I appreciate that, Clancee,” Jay smiled back.

“The snake has spoken,” Flintlocke put his hands up in surrender. “You can count on us to help you fight off that tyrant, Cap’n.”

Jay nodded and turned his head to look over the hull of the large airship beside the camp. “How’s the _Keep_ holding up, anyway? Can you get her in the air quickly?”

“We just refilled the tanks,” one pirate spoke up from where he was slouched over a drink. “We can take off whenever you tell us to, Captain.”

“Then we go now,” Jay nodded, and the crew began scrambling to their feet. “I’ll lead you along to the Monastery onboard my other ship. Flintlocke, come along with me. You trust one of the boys to pilot without you, right?”

Flintlocke motioned to Doubloon, who stood silently as always to the side. “Eh, good ol’ Doubloon will keep her going just fine. Anyway, what ‘other ship’ are you talking about?”

Jay grinned and began walking off to the ladder, with Nya close behind. “I know you’ve had a lot of experience with airships, Flintlocke, but I think the _Destiny’s Bounty_ will still make you shake your head.”

The pirate laughed. “ _Destiny’s Bounty?_ Sounds silly enough already.”

* * *

“I gotta admit,” Nya started as she came over to where Jay and Flintlocke were talking by the wheel. “I didn’t expect the whole crew to follow you so quickly.”

“You don’t know the half of what we’ve done for Captain Walker,” Flintlocke snorted. “I lost count of the amount of times he’d drag us off to a coast somewhere, guided only by a messy map that he got from a sketchy trader in one of the outer villages.”

Jay rolled his eyes. “You know I would never follow a map unless I was fully confident in its accuracy.”

“Accuracy my boot,” Flintlocke chuckled. “I can’t remember now how many thorns I had to pull out of poor lady Dogshank’s back after that tussle in Hiroshi’s Labyrinth. I think the lass has grown nervous about the jungle ever since.”

“And yet she’s still more than willing to jump into a pit of fire ants to save your sorry hide,” Jay shot back. “Doesn’t sound right to me.”

“She’s always been rather picky, Cap’n.” Flintlocke guessed, but he didn’t sound very sure.

“May I remind you two that we’re pressed for time here?” Nya cleared her throat, silencing Jay and Flintlocke instantly as if she were a stern mother scolding children. Jay gave Nya a _‘what, now **I’m** at fault here?’_ look and assumed his position at the wheel. Flintlocke stepped back and decided to watch the captain and his new flame bump shoulders to get the coordinates punched in and the thrusters engaged.

“What a strange sight it is, Cap’n…” Flintlocke muttered in a tone that almost sounded dreamy.

Jay gave his first mate a strange look over his shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“Aye, it just brings warmth to my heart to see you happy with such a lovely woman, that’s all,” Flintlocke was smirking beneath his bushy black mustache, but did a good job of hiding it. “Ah, I saw the way you held her back in the camp, when you were trying to win over the rest of the crew. You never gave Lady Chamille more than holding her hand before she took off.”

Jay choked on air, and Nya began blushing profusely. “Chamille? You never told me about her.”

Before Jay could respond, Flintlocke answered for him. “That’s because she only lasted a week and a half, I reckon. Couldn’t stand the _Keep’s_ stench.”

“I’ve had a _few_ romantic interests over the past few years,” Jay admitted, but not very loudly. “I don’t know, I guess that after a while, I figured that it wasn’t a worthwhile distraction anymore.” Jay locked eyes with Nya, and her face softened. “That’s not how I see you, though. Besides, Chamille was always such a secretive person. It was hard to really know her when she was putting on different faces for different people.”

“So, you like that I’m genuine,” Nya summarized. 

“Well, that’s one thing on the list, yeah,” Jay nodded.

“Oh, so there’s a list?” Nya raised an eyebrow, her eyes flashing with interest and intrigue. “Why haven’t I heard it yet?”

“Reading it all off at once spoils the enjoyment,” Jay argued, putting on a childish grin.

“You said yourself that we don’t have a lot of time. Seems like we’ve got plenty of time right now.”

“No, _you_ said that,” Jay laughed quietly. “And maybe I’d consider it, but poor Flintlocke is going to puke if we keep gushing over each other.”

Nya glanced back at the other pirate, and then back to Jay. “Gushing? Is that what we’re doing?”

An expression of challenge covered Jay’s face. “Well, I know that at least _one_ of us is.”

“Oh, so it’s just you.”

“No, I meant you.”

Nya’s cheeks flushed. “You can’t flip the whole thing on me like that!”

“Why not?” Jay was still grinning like an idiot, still glancing back at the controls every so often but mainly looking at Nya. “Besides, you’re adorable when you’re flustered.”

Nya’s mouth opened to speak, and then she shut it, whipping around to Flintlocke for help. “Flintlocke, tell your captain that he’s gushing a little _too_ much. Seems he’s gone a bit soft, huh?”

Flintlocke cleared his throat and offered Jay a look of helplessness. Still, he straightened his shoulders and said, “You’d be surprised how many times the Captain’s charms have helped him in a jam. The man’s a proper heartthrob,” he added with a sarcastic chortle. 

Nya turned back to Jay slowly. “You _flirted_ your way out of near-death scenarios?”

Jay shrugged bashfully. “On more than a few occasions, yes.”

Nya looked weirded out, but grinned all the same. “I should be a bit disturbed or jealous, but I kinda wanna see that now.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.”

* * *

With a sudden jolt of energy, Kai vaulted himself off the ground over Cole’s head, landing right behind and quickly swinging forward, urging Cole to counter it with his scythe. The blades locked with a sharp _clank_ , and then both fighters stepped away at the same time. The whole thing had become rather choreographed and went pretty much the same way every time, all the way down to the timing of Kai’s vault, but Wu was too pleased with progress to make them start all over.

“A swift attack can earn a quick kill if you’re going toe to toe with a weaker opponent, but can leave your arms extended and open to attack if it’s someone as perceptive and skilled as my brother,” Wu drawled as the fight continued before him. Kai stepped back and got on one knee to bring his twin katanas up in an X shape to catch Cole’s scythe. 

Using the small moment of surprise he had earned himself, Kai took the lowered knee and brought it up quickly, jabbing right into Cole’s groin and sending the Earth Ninja stumbling backwards. The scythe fell to the ground as Cole reached down to cover the spot, looking up at Kai with an angry glint in his eyes. “Ka _aaaaiiii_!”

“Sorry, buddy, but you never know what to expect when going up against Garmadon,” Kai shrugged. “Who knows, maybe he goes for the crotch kicks too-“

“Shut up, Kai,” Skylor called from where she was sparring against Seliel. Bringing up a hand to catch one of Seliel’s punches, Skylor pushed forward on the hand to cancel out the second punch, and then she followed through with a jab at Seliel’s right ankle, but the younger woman stepped back with quicker reflexes than Skylor had expected. “You’re _good_ for a self-taught fighter,” Skylor complimented Seliel as she stepped forward again, and Seliel did the same, and their feet dove between and around each other’s legs to find an opening to pull the other down. Each time was blocked by a quick foot or knee, and Skylor even found herself moving backwards as Seliel’s approach grew stronger.

“Thanks,” Seliel breathed, still not taking her eyes off of Skylor’s feet. Seeing this as an opportunity, Skylor grabbed Seliel’s left arm and tried using it to swing herself behind her, and Seliel noticed it just too late. After a few moments, Seliel was thrown onto her belly, with her arm twisted behind her and Skylor’s boot planted firmly on the Phantom Ninja’s back.

“I think I win,” Skylor said, with ego simply _pooling_ out of her voice.

“I don’t…ngh…think so!” Seliel grunted stubbornly, wriggling around and pushing her upper body off of the cold stone, but Skylor pushed her right back down.

“Easy there, killer, it’s just training,” Skylor rolled her eyes and stepped off of Seliel, allowing the girl to pick herself up and dust off the front of her gi. “You know, you shouldn’t feel too bad about it. I’ve been fighting like this for years.”

“So have I,” Seliel argued.

“Yeah, but there’s no reason to feel bad when you lose to an opponent who has more experience,” Skylor offered, playing with the belt around her waist, twirling the thin piece of fabric around her finger.

“That’s not very helpful advice considering we have freakin’ Emperor Garmadon on his way to kick our butts,” Seliel groaned again. 

“This is different,” Skylor folded her arms, allowing the belt to rest straight again. “And I can _tell_ that you’re way too worked up about it, because your thoughts are incredibly loud in my head right now.”

Seliel deadpanned. “I had almost forgotten we were linked.”

Skylor raised an eyebrow skeptically. “You’re saying you _haven’t been_ hearing all of the rushing thoughts from everyone while they’re training?”

“I mean, I heard them, yeah,” Seliel nodded. “I guess it just kinda blurred together.”

“That wasn’t what Lloyd wanted to happen,” Skylor sighed, shaking her head. “Each thought should be clear. Like, right now, what are you hearing from Kai?”

Seliel looked over at the Fire Ninja and squinted her eyes. “He’s…cocky. He’s just beaten Cole for the second time in a row.”

“Mhm. And Cole?”

Seliel scrunched her nose uncomfortably. “He’s still feeling pain from where Kai kneed him.”

“Yes, but what is he _thinking_?” Skylor pressed.

“He’s…he’s thinking of different ways to counter Kai’s attacks. Specifically, he’s looking for a quick opening so he can get a cheap win.”

“Idiots,” Skylor sighed. “If they knew how useful being mentally bound in a fight is, they’d be finding those openings much easier.”

“Wait, is that how you beat me?” Seliel asked with a bit of hope tracing her words, and Skylor rolled her eyes.

“No, I was just focused on sparring properly,” Skylor admitted. “You’ve gotta learn to accept a loss when it’s handed to you.”

“Whatever,” Seliel brushed it off. “I’ll get you this time. Watch me.”

Skylor nodded and gestured with her fingers for Seliel to come to her. “Alright, show me what you got.”

Seliel stepped forward and kicked at Skylor’s right thigh, and the redhead jumped over it narrowly. Seliel continued her attack with a series of punches, and as Skylor noticed that Seliel’s back was exposed and she swung to hit it, Seliel read the thought instantly and whipped herself around, executing the same ending move that Skylor had done on her. Skylor was pushed to the ground belly-first, and Seliel proudly placed her foot on the woman’s back.

“That was…” Skylor searched for the word. “Quick.”

Seliel was grinning like a kid opening presents on her birthday. “Quicker than your takedown, _and_ I used the mental bond to my advantage like you wanted.”

“I guess I can’t be upset at that, can I?”

“Nope.” Seliel finally put away her victory for a moment and helped Skylor up. “Anyway, I guess we should switch partners now like Wu wanted. You take Kai?”

“Only if you take Cole,” Skylor nodded, and the knowing smile she gave Seliel cast a soft red blush against her cheeks.

“I, uh… _fine_ ,” Seliel nodded back.

“What’s this?” Cole asked as he overheard the two girls as they walked over. “We’re switching partners now?”

“Good,” Kai laughed. “Maybe now Cole can win a few matches.”

“Hey-“ both Cole and Seliel said at the same time.

“I’ll have you know, Seliel is a _natural_ at using the mind bond in combat,” Skylor defended her, and walked to take her position across from Kai. “You’ll have your work cut out for you, Cole.”

Cole’s eyes flickered from Skylor to Seliel several times as if he was wondering if Skylor was telling the truth, but the confident grin Seliel was wearing served as confirmation that she was more than ready to utilize the mind bond again. 

“Just letting you know that I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a girl,” Cole said, tapping his fists together.

“Same to you,” Seliel challenged.

They both went easy on each other for the entirety of the match.

* * *

“My Emperor, I really must advise against this,” Luke Cunningham stood as tall and unwavering as he could, despite his heart beating as fast as a motorbike engine in the presence of a being who could end his life in a second. Or he could torture him and make it slow. Garmadon tended to have different preferences on different days.

 **“And what reason can you give me that my entire army hasn’t already brought up?”** Garmadon hissed, already impatient with the biker. **“I grow tired of waiting to make my move. I fly out tonight whether you like it or not.”**

“I understand that, Emperor, but you don’t _know_ what these guys are capable of,” Luke continued. “I mean, your son was strong enough on his own to take out most of my men singlehandedly on that sky tram. I barely escaped with my own life. And the fact that they’ve got Chen’s daughter as well as several other ninja-“

 **“You lack confidence in my ability, then,”** Garmadon accused, staring out the window of his throne room and hardly giving Luke any attention. **“It doesn’t matter what kind of sad band of rebels my son has put together. I will crush them just as I have any others who’ve hoped to end my rule.”**

“Then why refuse to have your army backing you up?” Luke asked. “You said that they went to your brother’s monastery, right? With just a dozen of our men, we could burn the place down and kill them before they have the chance to fight back.”

 **“They’ve already had _days_ ,” **Garmadon emphasized. **“Give them a few more, and they’ll be far too prepared for my liking. They’ve either been spending that time training for my arrival, or mapping out their way of escape so they can try and slip away.”**

“With a handful of ships, we would be able to track them down in no time,” Luke pointed out. 

**“Preparing shuttles takes too long, not because the process is lengthy, but because I only would accept the best of the best aboard them. And you, Commander Cunningham, have proven _spectacularly_ that even my most well trained soldiers have been slacking off.”**

“What was I supposed to do?” Luke’s voice raised, panic resounding along with it. “Your son has the power to burn holes right through my chest if he wanted to.”

Garmadon’s head slightly lifted and he glanced over at Luke. **“You’re saying that he went out of his way _not_ to kill you.”**

Luke shifted awkwardly. “I mean, he still killed _some_ of them, although they only died because he knocked them off of the tram.”

 **“So he’s okay with killing when the need presents itself, but not if it means getting blood on his hands,”** Garmadon surmised. **“I should have seen it sooner, when he wouldn’t even bring himself to kill Ultra Violet. He’s grown soft.”**

“Which is why I ask that you bring soldiers with you,” Luke repeated. “Once we’ve cornered these ninja in their home, they won’t be able to kill us indirectly anymore. Lloyd’s conscience will be his downfall, and we’ll overwhelm him.”

**“A clever plan, but one that I can accomplish on my own just fine.”**

“My Emperor…”

 **“I’ve heard enough. Leave me to prepare alone, or I’ll have Killow drag you out.”** A dark smile crept across Garmadon’s face. **“Before the next dawn breaks, my foolish brother will finally be dead, these insurrectionists will be pushed aside, and my son will finally learn the price for turning his back on me. I was willing to give the princess a quick, painless death if only to appease his conscience, but now he’s made this worse.”**

Luke begrudgingly turned and began walking out of the room, but not before Garmadon’s last utterance to himself.

**“I’ll kill her in the most brutal way possible, and he’ll be forced to watch.”**

_Does the Emperor normally talk to himself?_ Luke wondered as he shut the door behind him.


	37. His World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Harumi and Lloyd have their moment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone know why the "Garmadon Rulez" book that was essentially Harumi's childhood diary was never published in an English copy? Doing some research for Hutchins before writing this brought some more details to my attention from that book. I found it interesting that he sang the "Spider's in the House" lullaby to Harumi and that eventually was twisted into her own, wicked version as the Quiet One in the show lol. Poor Hutchins.

Harumi’s ears were ringing from the massive explosions reverberating throughout the entire palace. The yells of royal guards battling in the other rooms was still audible, but nothing overpowered the deafening sound of a bomb imploding inside of the palace, and the sense of dread and fear that followed. Harumi was being pulled along forcefully by Hutchins, her parents’ Master-at-Arms. She tried to focus on the attractive gold shoulderpads that lightly bounced on his shoulders with every step, but the explosions still held her attention.

“Through here, your highness!” Hutchins shouted as he pulled her into one of the many long, overarching hallways in the palace. Harumi doubted anyone besides herself and her parents would know the difference between most of these hallways, but Hutchins was an exception. Quick memories of playing hide and seek as a little girl in many of these hallways flashed across Harumi’s mind, and she quickly pushed them away.

She was fourteen now, and was preparing herself for the day she would become Empress. Despite how bleak things seemed, Harumi’s duty was to stay strong for her people and, in the very least, survive this attack long enough to lead them. Harumi wanted to ask about her parents, since Hutchins had pulled her away so suddenly after the first bomb went off, but she doubted the man was in any mood to slow himself to answer the question. A piece of Harumi really didn’t want to know what had happened to them.

“Confound it all!” Hutchins swore under his breath as they reached one of the exits, only to find that it was blocked off by tall flames and dark clouds of smoke. Pulling Harumi along again, he kept his distance and began making his way to the next exit, but Harumi could already see the flames and rubble blocking that one as well from across the hall.

 _The bombs were set at each of the exits,_ Harumi realized. _All of them must be the same way._

Hutchins seemed to come to the same conclusion, and he turned on his heel to search around the palace desperately for another means of escape. 

Harumi screamed as she felt someone’s hands grab her upper arms from behind, and she instinctively ducked her head while Hutchins sent a shaky but powerful punch at the attacker’s face. The hands let go of Harumi, and she ran to hide behind Hutchins, who extended his staff at the attacker. The figure was clearly not human. Although he was a bit taller than Hutchins and had arms and a bare torso that looked more human than not, this attacker was clearly a Serpentine. The bright red scales and proud, pronounced teeth meant that this was a Fangpyre. Nights spent reading Serpentine legends had led Harumi to decide that this tribe in particular was her least favorite. She would honestly rather have Venomari spit in her eyes than feel those awful fangs penetrate her arm, forcing her to slowly become one of them.

Hutchins didn’t seem to care who or what it was, only that it was threatening the safety of the princess, and for that, the Fangpyre had sealed his fate. Hutchins struck first, slamming the end of his staff against the snake’s right arm. It grabbed the wounded spot and slithered back, but Hutchins kept up his assault. A few more hits to the abdomen and lower tail opened up for Hutchins to land a deafening blow to the head, but the Fangpyre came back strong. It’s long, scaled arm reached over to grab Hutchins by the neck, and as the armored man kicked and clawed in an attempt to free himself, the Fangpyre’s long, red tail slithered itself around Hutchins’ body and slowly constricted.

Harumi’s blood began to boil and she wanted more than anything to have just a portion of Hutchins’ bravery to use against the snake. The Fangpyre couldn’t kill Hutchins like this - not nearly as fast as a Constrictai, at least - but it could take his breath away. As he kept squeezing, Harumi’s eyes darted around for a weapon, and she found it.

A piece of rubble the size of Harumi’s head sat against the broken wall, and Harumi hurried over to scoop it up in both hands. Albeit heavier than she expected, Harumi heaved a few times before managing to successfully lift the stone above her head. All four of the Fangpyre’s eyes were still focused on Hutchins.

_Good._

Harumi chucked the stone as hard as she could, and it smacked right into one of the Fangypre’s heads, causing it to scream out in pain. It slithered back onto the ground in a bloody mess, letting out unpleasant sounds through its teeth and flat tongue.

“Princess!” Hutchins exclaimed, barely giving himself enough time to catch his breath before hurrying over to Harumi’s side. He sounded angry, but she quickly noticed the small look of pride as he looked at her. “We need to find another way out. Follow me.” He took off at run, and Harumi did her best to keep up as they hurried through several more hallways and lobbies.

Finally, they stopped at a glass door, and Harumi’s eyes widened in realization. “The courtyard, Hutchins!”

“Yes,” Hutchins replied, a bit of his accent coming out more than usual. He continued inside, searching around the indoor courtyard for more snakes. “We’d better hurry before that Fangpyre recovers himself and alerts the rest of the enemy.”

Harumi glanced up at the open sky that shone down through the clear ceiling. Even now, in such a disastrous time, the trees and tall plants of the courtyard appeared so calm and peaceful. “We can escape through the roof, Hutchins,” she suggested. “The glass can’t be too thick, can it?”

Hutchins examined it and shook his head. “No, no…it should be fine.” He let out a breath he’d been holding since the Fangpyre’s tail had been wrapped around him. “We just need to find a way up there.”

“How will we break the glass?”

Hutchins gave the princess a rare smile and nodded towards the bed of rocks laid out beside a small pool of water. “You had the right idea with that rubble. This time, however, I’ll throw it.” Extending his arm, Hutchins pointed to a tall tree not far across the courtyard. “You’ll have to climb that tree and grab onto the top of the wall after I break the glass.”

“Wouldn’t it all fall onto my head?” Harumi asked. “Why not break it now while we’re both out of the way, and then we both climb the tree together?” The tone that Hutchins was using wasn’t giving her much hope that he’d be coming out along with her, and she scrambled for ideas of how to make it work.

“The second the glass is broken, it’d trigger the palace security alarms,” Hutchins explained. “I’m not expecting for many people to hear it over all of the commotion outside, but nevertheless, the enemy _will_ notice when the glass is shattered. That’s why you need to be in position to pull yourself out the moment I throw the rock.”

“Hutchins, I’m not leaving without you-“ Harumi argued.

“There’s no time!” Hutchins insisted, pushing Harumi towards the tree. “I will do my best to climb the tree and get out as soon as I can – I promise.” His eyes lowered. “But you must not wait for me. As soon as you’re out, find a way off of the roof and run.”

“Hutchins-“

“Go!” Hutchins yelled, and as the princess brushed away fresh tears and began ascending up the tree, Hutchins bent down to take a melon-sized rock into his hands. His fingers ran over the smooth stone, slightly bouncing it in his palms as if he were weighing fate instead of just a rock. There was no going back now, but it was the only way to ensure that Princess Harumi would live. Always the selfless bodyguard, Hutchins came to terms with this and readied his throwing arm, feeling an odd calmness as Harumi reached the top of the tree and peered down on him.

He’d never see her grow into a beautiful adult.

He’d never see her become Empress and lead Ninjago into a bright future.

He’d never get to sing that stupid spider lullaby to her again.

He’d never see her marry a handsome prince and he’d never get to sing that lullaby to her little princes and princesses like he had done for her.

In many ways, he’d seen Harumi as a daughter, despite his every attempt to see her as nothing other than royalty. 

And yet, he felt calm.

“ _DUCK!”_ Hutchins cried as he threw the rock up at the ceiling above. He wasn’t able to see the events that followed; he fell to the ground and hid his face from the million shards of glass that came raining down on him. It felt like tiny knives digging into his back, and he let out a quiet sound of pain.

The alarm sounded as he expected, but he barely heard it. Hutchins pulled his head up to see Harumi’s small, fragile body pull itself up onto the roof. She glanced back for a moment, and he could see the tears in her eyes, but she still did as she was told and hurried off. As he saw that young head of bleached white hair disappear, Hutchins’s mouth opened in a breathy laugh of relief, and tears spilled down his cheeks.

He had almost forgotten to climb up himself. Hutchins felt a cold shiver run down his spine as a dark figure joined him in the courtyard.

Lord Garmadon, King of Shadows, stood angrily at the door. **“You’re going to pay dearly for that.”**

Hutchins fought back as best he could when Garmadon struck, but in the seconds before feeling a dark blade pierce his heart, the man thought of Harumi again. She’d be alright.

She’d be alright.

* * *

19-year-old ex-princess Harumi woke to another day with a busy mind and a heavy heart. Waking up in the Monastery was usually a treat, with the morning sun shining through the window and the soft wind rushing outside. 

Since the day before, Harumi couldn’t bring herself to be happy about much of anything. She was telling herself over and over that she wasn’t upset because of Lloyd turning her down, and while Lloyd was far from the _only_ reason, Harumi knew deep down that she’d felt this way tenfold since Lloyd walked out of her room without a word. Did she blame him? No, not at all.

It was stupid to throw such bold devotion into his face like that, especially when neither of them was in a calm, collected state. “I love you” was a string of words Harumi had only reserved for her parents, and sometimes Hutchins when he’d tuck her in for bed. In the five years since Garmadon’s takeover, she hadn’t uttered that phrase once. The fact that it felt so right to say it to Lloyd had exhilarated her, but now all she could feel was regret and disappointment. 

He clearly _liked_ her - that at least wasn’t in question. But did he _love_ her? His words denied it, at least, but something in his expression seemed to say otherwise. Perhaps it really was all her own fault for rushing their relationship so much. What had it been? A month? Maybe two? Harumi had stopped counting the days after a while, but some people might find it odd and even irresponsible to profess your undying love to someone you haven’t even known for half a year.

That was understandable. Harumi knew that what Lloyd was doing now was important, not just for her own safety, but potentially for the safety of the whole country. Her saying “I love you” while such a burden of leadership had been thrust on his shoulders was probably not helping anything. Harumi hoped that Lloyd was at least able to focus on training, and wasn’t too conflicted by their last interaction. The _last_ thing she wanted was to be a source of distraction and even confusion for the Green Ninja.

Harumi got out of bed and finally got around to changing, deciding on a navy top and black sweatpants. It was far from the kind of outfit Wu usually approved of in the Monastery, but it was also completely different from tight kimonos and royal gowns, so Harumi figured it was worth the reprimanding. Deciding to ditch any kind of shoes for now, Harumi stepped out of her room barefoot and walked out to the kitchen, where she could already hear the team training outside.

And there was Wu, seated at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in hand as well as a plate of _some kind_ of breakfast – Cole’s own creation, Harumi guessed. The man wasn’t wearing his wide hat – a rarity these days – and Harumi got a glimpse of the black skullcap set neatly on a head that was devoid of hair. Wu smiled up at Harumi, but the bags under his eyes told her that he was feeling as cheery as he tried to appear.

“Good morning, Wu,” Harumi said, noticing not for the first time how automatic it was to greet him in the morning now. It was all part of her new, crazy life, she assumed.

“Good morning, Princess,” Wu nodded. “It is a beautiful day outside today, especially with the cherry blossoms becoming so much more vibrant this time of year.” He paused to look Harumi over and then motioned for her to sit across from him. She did so. “You seem distraught.”

“No offense, Wu, but so do you,” Harumi bit the inside of her cheek nervously. “Did you get _any_ sleep last night?”

Wu flipped it on its head. “Did _you_?”

Harumi searched Wu’s face for a catch, but found none. “You’re really not going to let me worry about you, are you?”

“Not unless I hear about you first,” Wu suggested warmly. “I feel like it’s a fair deal, considering you got up so late this morning.”

Harumi tried her best to look apologetic. “I didn’t sleep so well last night.”

“Ah!” Wu smiled. “And so, we’re already getting somewhere. Do you know why it is that you can’t sleep?”

“I’ve just…got a lot on my mind,” Harumi confessed.

“I believe you,” Wu nodded slowly, taking a sip from his tea and then setting the cup down gently. It made a small _clink_ sound as it touched the table. “I get the feeling that it isn’t _just_ because of your trip to the city, however.”

Harumi tensed. She still wasn’t sure what Wu’s standing was on the whole situation was. She had deliberately betrayed his trust and ran off in a flare of emotions to get Lloyd back as soon as she could. She had heard Wu talking to Kai about it once, but it had been more of a casual mention than a reprimanding. “That’s still got a lot to do with it,” Harumi sighed.

“And what else?” Wu asked, still pressing for answers. He did so in a way that felt welcoming and not at all intrusive, which Harumi took comfort in.

“It’s Lloyd,” Harumi answered bluntly, immediately slouching her shoulders and leaning forward against the table to bury her face in her hands. Letting out a sound of frustration, she added, “I said something I shouldn’t have, and we’ve barely talked since.”

Wu’s eyebrows slightly raised. “And this happened the day Lloyd came home?”

“Yes,” Harumi mumbled into her hands. “I just felt like it was _right_ to say what I did. And it was one of those moments where what you’re saying isn’t at all rude or offensive, and yet it can cause more harm than good.” Harumi peeked one eye out at Wu. “Y’know?”

Wu cleared his throat. “I suppose I understand what you mean.”

“Lloyd probably thinks that I’m some kind of clingy, impulsive girl, and I’m _not_. But he has every reason to think I am.”

“I’m positive that he doesn’t see you that way at all,” Wu shook his head. “He cares for you more than you know.”

“That’s what I thought, and that’s why I said it.”

“I can’t help too much if I don’t even know what the ‘it’ was,” Wu pointed out, chuckling quietly. “I won’t pressure you. You don’t have to tell me.”

Harumi took a deep breath. “I told him that I loved him.”

Another sharp feeling of regret pierced Harumi like a dagger. She slightly cringed as she watched Wu’s face for some kind of shocked or even disturbed expression. She had just admitted this to Lloyd’s _uncle_? Why couldn’t she have at least gone to Nya or Seliel instead?

Instead, Wu’s face stayed pretty much the same. “And were you telling him the truth?”

“Of course,” Harumi answered quickly. “I wouldn’t make light of something as big as that.”

“So, he was unprepared for such a statement, and so he left and finds it uncomfortable to talk to you right now,” Wu guessed. “And you feel guilt for throwing that onto him.”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Harumi ran her hands down her face stressfully. “And he’s got a team to lead right now, and he’s gotta prepare for what is probably the biggest fight of his entire life…and I’m just adding more for him to juggle around.”

“As I see it, he’s been ‘juggling’ you around since you both arrived here, and he’s been doing so without any regrets,” Wu pointed out. “He went back to Chen’s Island with Skylor on a whim that maybe he’d be able to break the curse binding yours and Chen’s souls. He stayed behind with his father so that he could turn his attention away from you.” Wu took another sip of tea. “I find it a bit out of character for Lloyd to be turned away by having his feelings returned by the young woman he’s fought so hard for.”

“He’s trying to do the selfless thing, though,” Harumi went on. “This isn’t about how he feels about me right now, or how I feel about him. He’s trying to put that to the side and focus on confronting his father.” Harumi smiled sadly. “I guess, if anything, I admire him for putting the team and me above personal feelings.”

“So you’re at peace with his decision.”

“Yes. Well…no…” Harumi groaned, running her left hand through strands of white hair. “Maybe I should talk to Nya about this…”

“No, no, I insist,” Wu shook his head. “I want to help you, Harumi. Are you at peace with Lloyd’s decision to put your relationship with him to the side temporarily to focus fully on facing his father?”

“Yes,” Harumi blurted.

“Is that your final answer?”

“No. No, yes. I…” Harumi thought for a moment, and then answered firmly, “No…although, I hate to admit, I’m not at _peace_ with anything right now. I just want to be sure of _something_ , and after saying, ‘I love you’ to the man that I _do_ love, it’s stressful not to have an answer on whether or not he loves me back.”

“So you seek confirmation,” Wu surmised.

“I seek _anything_ from him at this point.” Harumi stared down at the table for a while. “As uncomfortable as we both feel right now, I need to put that aside and face him…right?”

Wu nodded. “I think that you’ll both get the answers you’re looking for if you just talk about it.” Looking over at the stove, he added, “Perhaps over some tea. I’ve made plenty.”

Harumi nodded, and almost stood to her feet before another thought hit her. “What about his training? I got the impression that he’s been distancing himself from me because he didn’t want our feelings to be a distraction.”

“He will make time for you,” Wu assured her with a smile. “I’m sure of it.”

Twenty minutes later, Harumi was seated at the kitchen table again, but this time with Lloyd seated across from her instead of Wu. The old man had excused himself to go meditate alone in his room, leaving the two conflicted young adults to sort out their issues on their own.

Lloyd seemed somewhat nervous from the way his veins slightly bulged out and his foot was constantly tapping against the floor, but Harumi reminded herself that it could just be due to post-training adrenaline. She composed herself best she could, and found the courage to speak.

“I need to tell you something.”

“So do I.”

Harumi couldn’t hold back the pleased smile that she gave Lloyd. At least she knew now that he was concerned about this like she was. “About what I told you the other day,” Harumi started nervously, finding herself awkwardly meeting eyes with Lloyd only for brief moments before looking at something else and then cycling through the process over and over. “In my room. On my bed.”

“Yeah…” Lloyd said, the word coming out more cracked than he wanted. “Look, Harumi, I just-“

“Wait, I’m not finished,” Harumi held up a hand. She hoped she didn’t sound mean, but she had to get this off her chest quickly. “What I said was _true_ from the bottom of my heart. I wasn’t being pushed along by the rush of excitement or by how nervous I was at the time. I just realized at that point that I _do_ feel that way about you, and I figured it was the best time to say it.”

Lloyd was blushing hard. Harumi found it awful cute, but couldn’t be too pleased. She was sure she was just as red, if not more, than he was. 

“Harumi…” Lloyd trailed off, noticing that once again, Harumi didn’t want him to interrupt.

“Despite our circumstances, I’ve never come to know a person so closely before in my life,” Harumi admitted, leaning forward against the table a bit, pushing her elbows forward. “From the moment you were kind to me in that dungeon, I knew there was something different about you. The way you were so reserved but willing to throw away all restraint if harm came my way, the way that you put the lives of people you barely know above your own-“

“Rumi,” Lloyd chuckled, but Harumi held up her hand again.

“And I don’t just love how selfless and kind you are,” Harumi went on. “I love your daring, bold approach to whatever comes your way. I love how you smile shyly whenever you make a small mistake. And I never thought that ‘always being in danger’ could look so attractive on a guy, but it works,” Harumi giggled. “Most importantly, though…” Her face looked more serious and also more passionate at the same time. “…I love how whenever I’m with you, I feel free.”

The word hovered between them both silently for a few moments, and Lloyd’s face rose as he seemed to consider it. “Free?”

“Mhm. With you, I’m just Harumi. No royal duties, no making up fake identities to stay in the shadows, no worries, and yet with you I’ve never had _more_ worries…it’s hard to explain.”

“I think I understand,” Lloyd responded softly.

“Yeah?” Harumi beamed at him, and her right hand moved to lay on top of his. “Lloyd, I shouldn’t have just dumped the big ‘I love you’ right there in the middle of our kiss, and I _definitely_ shouldn’t have done it when you had so much more to be concerned with at the time. Still, my feelings are out there now, and…” Harumi sighed contentedly. “…I’m really glad that you know.”

Lloyd struggled with a few syllables before clearing his throat and getting straight to the point. “Harumi, I left the room because I knew that making such a commitment to you would only make it harder for me to not be worried about you.”

Harumi pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I mean, I get that and all, and I’m totally fine with you not feeling ready to confess how you feel right _now_ …”

Lloyd started slowly nodding, and Harumi’s heart slightly sank.

“Is it wrong for me to want this?” Harumi laughed nervously. “Because everything and everyone around me seems to be answering with a resounding yes.”

Lloyd swallowed hard. “No, I wouldn’t say so.”

“Then what do you think we should do about this?” Harumi asked hopefully, thinking that maybe a different perspective would make things clearer, or at least make the pill easier to swallow. “I’ve willingly followed you in everything else, haven’t I? I won’t judge you for what you decide.”

“I think my biggest concern should be protecting you.”

“But you said you didn’t want to be any more concerned about than me than you already are,” Harumi pointed out. “Then, which is it? My safety, or defeating your father?”

Lloyd hung his head. “Defeating my father.”

“Is that your final answer?” Harumi asked, taking a page from Wu’s book.

“Yes. But only because defeating him will mean ending his rule, clearing your name, and allowing you to be safe and take up the throne,” Lloyd said.

“So you admit that you’re still worried most for me,” Harumi shot.

Lloyd sighed. “Is that a bad thing now? I’m getting confused.”

“So am I,” Harumi breathed, rubbing her forehead slowly. “I think what we should both take away from this is that I love you and its okay if you’re not ready to say it back.”

“You’re okay with that?” Lloyd asked.

“I’m your highest priority,” Harumi grinned proudly, trying and failing to not look _too_ pleased with herself. “For now, that kind of care and thought is good enough for me.”

“Well, maybe after this is all over, we can…” Lloyd trailed off, but Harumi knew what he was going to say.

“Yeah. I’d love that.”

“Good,” Lloyd smiled, standing to his feet. “I guess I have to go. The team’s gonna get suspicious if I don’t get back out there for training soon.” He began walking past Harumi to the door, only for the young princess to hurry ahead of him and block his path through, with a childlike smirk across her lips.

Without any warning, Harumi grabbed Lloyd’s hand and stepped forward to kiss him, her full lips capturing his in a soft, almost delicate touch that still somehow held more meaning behind it than most of their kisses before. Her long hair tickled Lloyd’s neck again, and for a moment, he considered pulling her closer to properly hold her.

Instead, Harumi pulled back and moved to the side so he could get through to the door. “That would have been a pretty boring way to say goodbye, I think,” she commented smugly, and Lloyd chuckled in response.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Your way is a lot better.”

“Mhm.”

* * *

Garmadon had never had to travel this far on an elemental dragon before. Crossing most of the continent in search of an old monastery he’d sworn to forget was more of a journey than he’d estimated. Still, the Emperor had been through much worse before, and he had no doubt he’d still be at full strength when he arrived to take care of his brother’s annoying ninja pests.

Garmadon felt somewhat foolish for not expecting this to have been Wu’s doing from the beginning. The fighting styles, the elemental powers suddenly awakening in new young, reckless hosts, the reason Lloyd had gone so soft…

It was all Wu’s fault. It wouldn’t be the first time, but Garmadon would ensure that it’d be the last. He’d shown a small bit of sympathy to the foolish old kook from the start of his reign, purposely keeping his forces away from the mountains that held the monastery so high above the clouds. Of course, most of the reason he hadn’t attacked this place yet was out of respect for his own late father, but nowadays, Garmadon didn’t remember the man very fondly anymore. The same went for Wu. He had been up in the mountains for five years doing _what?_ Teaching a bunch of inexperienced teenagers how to use elemental powers far beyond their own control? The thought was humorous, if not embarrassing.

Soon enough, Wu’s name would be snuffed out, and it wouldn’t be long before that name faded from history as well. If only it were so easy to erase the former Emperor and Empress from people’s minds. Garmadon huffed. Nothing was ever _that_ easy. They would no doubt be a thorn in his side for years to come, but Princess Harumi being alive would only keep their memories around for longer. He had to kill her.

Lloyd had the perfect opportunity to do it himself, to accomplish something truly worthy of recognition and smear out a dead, weakened government that never worked right since day one. Instead, he went soft, no doubt tricked by Wu into thinking that what he was doing now was right. Garmadon was disgusted at the ideas of whatever else Wu had brainwashed his son into believing. Had he really told the boy that his father was evil, and it worked like a charm just like that?

Lloyd’s devotion to the princess was most alarming. Garmadon had always wanted his son to one day claim a woman who would please him, and bring forth children who would follow in their grandfather’s footsteps. He had _not_ expected for Lloyd’s focus to be set on a girl so _privileged_ and _weak_. To think of where Ninjago would be under her rule caused Garmadon to shake his head. Had Lloyd been brainwashed into caring for her, too? Had Wu orchestrated this to make Lloyd into the ultimate bodyguard for her, easily overpowering Serpentine and bikers alike before they could lay a hand on her?

Wu’s deceit truly knew no bounds. Garmadon would correct this, with one quick stroke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title for this one is a two-edged sword, really. On one end, it's talking about Garmadon, as expressed in his internal spiel about the whole world being his and being so much stronger because of it. On the other hand, it's an unspoken, yet implied sentiment from Lloyd that Harumi is HIS world. Despite his attempts, he can't stop seeing her as his highest priority, and this chapter solidifies his acceptance of that, as well as Harumi's answer to his worries.
> 
> Garmadon's world is what he has power over, while Lloyd's world is who he cherishes most. Garmadon is only satisfied with what he alone controls, while Lloyd sees the importance of allowing Harumi to be her own person and decide for herself what she wants and how she feels. Lloyd's gone from a raw, selfish desire to have Harumi to himself in a dark fortress where she'd never be happy, to putting his wants aside to give her what she wants most.
> 
> It's an overarching and LONG developing part of this story that defines Lloyd and Garmadon's characters presently, and where they now stand leading up to their confrontation. I can't begin to describe how satisfying it is to finally be at this point and have these past 36 chapters accumulate before the end.
> 
> 3 more chapters, friends.


	38. All Hail the Most Powerful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Garmadon finally shows up...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, this chapter is really long, essentially double the length of an average chapter in this story, and I couldn't be happier with it. (well, actually I'm pretty bad when it comes to being truly satisfied with a final product, but you know what I mean.) 
> 
> WARNING: This chapter is essentially non-stop action, violence, and some pretty brutal moments on behalf of Garmadon. There's no death (or is there? Hmm) but if you don't like reading your favorite characters getting beat up, then that's more than understandable lol. Chapters like this are where this story really gets its T rating, but I think there's nothing wrong with getting a bit more graphic and mature as long as it isn't coming out of nowhere.
> 
> Two chapters remain, friends - enjoy!

Lloyd straightened his shoulders and tried his best to push away any doubts in his mind. From where he and the rest of the team stood at the top of the Mountain of a Million Steps, Lloyd watched in anticipation for Garmadon’s dragon. Zane had noticed it pierce a couple of clouds only a minute before, and Nya had claimed to see a pair of wings fluttering not far off.

“Could it be that you guys saw something else?” Cole asked, but he still held his scythe in a readied stance. “Maybe it’s a different dragon?”

“Let’s remind ourselves that Zane and Nya haven’t even _seen_ Garmadon’s dragon before,” Skylor huffed, acting skeptical about the whole thing from the moment Zane mentioned anything. 

“It fit your description,” Nya argued, planting her hands on her hips. “Black scales with a purple mist pouring down the edges?”

“Everyone, be quiet!” Lloyd hissed between his teeth, still not tearing his attention away from the sky ahead. “It’s him.”

“You sure?” Jay asked. At Lloyd’s nod, Jay turned and called back to the pirate crew inside the walls. “Alright, Flintlocke, he’s almost here. Ready your weapons.”

“What about the _Misfortune’s Keep_?” Kai asked.

“It’ll be ready eventually.”

Lloyd’s ears picked up a sound coming from his left, and then from his right. He knew Garmadon couldn’t teleport, but the dragon was somehow playing tricks on him through sound. Extending his sword to the open air, Lloyd waved it around cautiously. Had Garmadon found a way to conceal himself temporarily? The sound of wings beating grew closer…

“To the left!” Skylor yelled. “He’s right in- A _H!”_ Skylor’s voice cut off as a large clawed foot came swooped across to grab her. The woman kicked and wriggled around in a blur of orange and red, only being freed once the dragon kicked its foot back and then launched Skylor into the side of the wall. The collision forced a painful scream from Skylor’s throat. Out of strength, her body crumpled to the ground.

“Skylor!” Kai shouted in surprise, but he had no time to rush over to her. Garmadon had landed a few steps behind the team, his dragon dissipating into dark purple particles in the air. The Emperor seemed to stand taller than Kai remembered, even at a lower step, and his blood red eyes sent a visible shock through everyone but Lloyd.

“That’s him,” Nya whispered, more or less to herself, and out of shock and realization rather than acknowledgement. “He’s so…”

“…outnumbered!” Jay finished for her in his own way, raising his nunchucks into the air and twirling the one end in a circle. “Take him!”

Kai jumped first, his sword clashing with Garmadon’s own and sending sparks flying as Jay’s nunchucks and Cole’s scythe joined the lock. Clearly not having expected such an early assault, Garmadon forcefully pulled his weapon out of the mess and stepped back. After deflecting a few more attacks from both Cole and Jay, Garmadon kicked Kai right in the stomach with inhuman force, vaulting him into a wall much like Skylor.

Lloyd could barely assess their downed teammates before rushing in himself, and feeling Nya and Seliel coming up alongside him. “Jay, Cole, tap out for a second!” Lloyd called and pushed the winded ninja aside, and a next pair of weapons collided with Garmadon’s, with Lloyd and Nya holding a strong lock. Garmadon had begun slightly dipping backwards, leaving Lloyd an opening to blast his father in the chest. The attack launched Garmadon a few more steps down, earning Lloyd and Nya a second to breath while Seliel leapt past them to attack on her own.

The Phantom Ninja slid onto her backside once getting close, using her sword to knock Garmadon’s out of the way and kick his legs out. Despite the successful attempt, Garmadon regained his footing sooner than expected and grabbed Seliel’s arm as she stood to her feet, pushing her into Nya and ruining her own approach, leaving Lloyd on his own while Cole and Jay began to catch up again.

Lloyd jumped forward and swung. His attack was blocked but not parried, and Lloyd used this opportunity to get a few more swings in and try to overwhelm his father, if only for a moment. It only kept Garmadon at bay for a few moments, but that was long enough for Jay and Cole’s attacks, one from each side.

The end of Jay’s nunchucks wacked against one of Garmadon’s left arms and the Lightning Ninja slid in to stand behind Garmadon. Cole, vaulting himself into the air, also pushed his way past Garmadon and took his place behind the opponent, but followed it by slamming his hands into the ground. The resulting earthquake caused Garmadon to stumble back, and Nya and Seliel ran forward to plant their feet firmly on his tall torso as he hit the steps. Their combined weight wasn’t enough, of course, and Garmadon quickly knocked them off and flipped back onto his feet. Cole and Jay, in mid-swing, found themselves suddenly risen into the air by a dark purple mist, and were thrown off of the side of the mountain before either of them could react.

“No!” Nya screamed, reaching forward to the two ninja who were far out of her reach. She relaxed as a figure forming a ice slide beneath his feet sped ahead of Cole and Jay’s descent, forming a convenient path back onto the steps, albeit far behind Garmadon and the others. “Good job, Zane!” Nya called, turning her attention back to the fight.

Garmadon had engaged with both Lloyd and Seliel in a battle of hands and feet, as each of their weapons had either been hit off of the mountain or had fallen out of their hands. Lloyd had illuminated both of his fists with a green glow, leaving more than enough damage with each punch to make Garmadon reorganize his counter process. Seliel held up well enough on her own without powers, clearly taking Garmadon by surprise with how skilled she was with her high kicks, but the surprise only lasted for a few successful hits. Garmadon was a master of adapting to the battle, and Seliel’s kicks were no longer getting past his block.

After making a crucial error by trying the same move too many times, Seliel left herself open for Garmadon to seize her by the shirt, and he had prepared to throw her down into the step, most likely shattering her spine with that kind of force-

“Brother!” Wu’s voice called out with a fierceness the ninja had never known from him. Garmadon froze, his attention no longer focused on the frightful woman he held with one hand. Garmadon’s mouth twisted in a snarl as he observed his brother, and he opted to throw Seliel into Lloyd’s arms instead. 

**“This is what you have created against me, _brother_?” **Garmadon spat, the last word sounding like poison. **“Your new pupils are talented, but _far_ from elemental masters.”**

“Oh yeah?” Kai grunted as he came into view behind Wu, having finally gotten to his feet. “You haven’t even seen my-“

“Kai, control yourself,” Wu ordered, turning back to his brother. Lloyd, Nya, and Seliel stood in the middle of their staredown in anticipation, seeing who would move first. Cole, Jay, and Zane had come up behind Garmadon but froze at the sight of his lifted hand. Zane wasn’t sure he could manage to catch them all again a second time, and Cole and Jay seemed to assume the same.

“I had hoped we’d be reunited under peaceful circumstances,” Wu admitted, tapping his staff against the steps. “After all this time, you have decided to break the truce you agreed on.”

**“You forfeited that truce when you brainwashed my son,”** Garmadon growled. **“Here you are, raising an army of _children_ against me.”**

“I say we kick him off the mountain,” Kai commented.

“I second that motion,” Nya nodded.

**“I will not offer a second truce, but I will offer your students a different path.”** Garmadon’s eyes seemed to tear into Cole, whose arms stiffened. **“The _only_ path that will ensure their survival.”**

“I will not give up my students to your own twisted ideals,” Wu’s eyes narrowed. “They are trained to fight with their last breath. None of them will take your offer, I assure you, brother.”

**“You’d squander a whole generation of elemental masters?”** Garmadon raised a curious, gray brow. **“I find it hard to believe that you’d want to put our father’s powers to waste like that.”**

“Hey, we stand by our sensei no matter what,” Cole stepped forward a bit, squaring up with Garmadon. “You’re an idiot if you think we’d join you.”

Garmadon made an amused sound and peered around at the others. **“And you all share his decision?”**

Unanimous nods all around caused Garmadon to sigh disappointedly. **“Very well.”**

With an awful roar, Garmadon lashed forward and clawed at Cole with a hand covered in dark purple flames. The sensation tore through Cole’s hands and he fell back where Zane was ready to catch him. Jay jumped forward as Garmadon braced for impact, and Lloyd ran up on the other side. Even while blocking each of their attacks, Garmadon was quickly becoming outnumbered and overwhelmed, with four ninja behind and three in front.

Instead, the tall figure planted his hands on the steps and tore open the rock and stone, leaving purple cracks and sending pieces hurdling in Cole and Jay’s direction. Zane dodged a large piece of rock that was sent towards his face and pushed past Jay, landing a swift punch at Garmadon’s lower torso. 

**“Enough of this!”** Garmadon snarled before blasting his own dark energy in all directions, pushing each of the ninja away and giving himself enough time to begin climbing the side of the mountain himself, ignoring the stairs.

“He’s trying to get inside the Monastery!” Jay exclaimed, and each of the ninja – especially Lloyd – rushed to their feet and began climbing as well. Garmadon’s extra pair of arms seemed to give him a significant advantage in this contest, however, and he disappeared from sight as he reached the top of the mountain. Wu had begun rushing up the steps himself, not far behind the ninja.

Fortunately, there was a redheaded assassin waiting for Garmadon at the entrance. With lightning crackling from the fingertips of her left hand and flames igniting in the palm of her right hand, Skylor stood in a firm stance. “Round two, _Your Highness,_ ” Skylor spat disgustedly. “You didn’t give me a fair fight.”

**“My best soldiers failed to kill you,”** Garmadon admitted. **“You aren’t easy to catch.”**

Skylor didn’t respond, and instead fired both elements at Garmadon at once, creating a mix of smoke and sparks in the patch of grass Garmadon jumped away from. After another few misses shots, Skylor switched to water, using a strong burst of liquid to force Garmadon to lose his balance. Switching again to earth, Skylor mimicked Cole’s signature move and caused a small tremor to fully knock Garmadon’s balance, and Skylor slid in to lock her legs around his ankles, and the Dark Lord toppled onto his back. With her legs still locking his down, Skylor pulled a knife from her hip and brought it down to pierce Garmadon’s chest, but the blade only bounced off of his tough armorplate.

During Skylor’s mix of surprise and frustration, Garmadon twisted to get his feet free and kicked Skylor away, but this time the assassin was able to recover herself instead of hitting the wall a second time. After a moment of catching her breath, Skylor ran forward again, her knife swinging for Garmadon’s exposed neck, but he was simply too tall for her to reach, and Garmadon caught her arm. His grip grew so tight as he squeezed her thin wrist that Skylor began to shake. Her fingers fell limp and the knife fell from her hand, and one of Garmadon’s lower hands caught the hilt as it fell.

Skylor’s eyes widened in fear and she could only see the satisfaction in Garmadon’s own eyes before he stabbed her right leg with her own knife. Screaming out in pain, Skylor stumbled back and Garmadon let go of her wrist. The Amber Ninja collapsed in seething pain, clutching her leg helplessly. Her eyes shut tightly and red hair fell over her face.

**“I could have run your weapon through your heart and ended you quickly,”** Garmadon pointed out as he watched the woman writhing painfully on the ground in front of him. **“Instead, I intend to make you suffer slowly.”** Leaning down close to Skylor’s ear, he added, **“Consider it your way of paying for your father’s crimes against me.”**

“Get away from her!” Nya yelled as she reached the top, with Cole ahead and the others close behind. Raising her spear above her head, Nya hurled it towards Garmadon, but he caught it with ease, breaking the long handle with his knee. The two pieces fell to the ground by his feet.

**“You’re technique is lacking speed or precision,”** Garmadon mused, simply mocking the team at this point. 

Before Jay could realize his girlfriend’s rising anger, the Water Ninja had run up to Garmadon empty-handed, sending three punches that were easily blocked, and followed up by Garmadon twisting Nya’s arm behind her back. The cry that escaped Nya’s mouth caused Kai and Jay to both instinctively rush forward, but Garmadon held the girl out as a shield. Jay and Kai both stopped dead in their tracks.

“He’s just toying with us now,” Lloyd realized, his eyes narrowing underneath his hood. “Anytime he gets one of us alone, he can use us to his advantage.”

“Got a plan?” Cole asked.

Lloyd straightened his shoulders. “Kinda.” With a wave in Garmadon’s direction, Lloyd nodded back to Zane. “Up high, above the head!” Without a moment’s delay, Zane nodded back and extended his arm into the air, formulating a large block of ice that hovered above Garmadon’s head. The Emperor noticed and began backing away, but didn’t react fast enough before Lloyd fired an energy beam at the ice. It exploded into hundreds of shards and pieces, crashing down on Garmadon’s helmeted head and shoulders. A large ice chunk knocked his head back and his hands loosened around Nya, and she pulled herself free.

Kai and Jay both huddled around her, forming a barrier between her and Garmadon. “Good call, Lloyd,” Kai said, before igniting the hand that wasn’t on his sister’s shoulder on fire. The flames extended from his palm and pushed Garmadon back. Kai noticed his mistake too late. “Oh, wait! I pushed him towards the Monastery! Sorry!”

Garmadon had already taken advantage of the error and pushed his way through the doors, and Jay chuckled.

“He’s in for a surprise.”

As soon as Garmadon stepped into the walled training floor, over a dozen muskets were aimed at his head. Flintlocke stood right in front, the click of his weapon sounding in tandem with his increasing grin. “Can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you, Emperor Garmadon. Boys, fire away!”

As the shots went off and the ninja began entering behind him, Garmadon jumped into the air and landed behind the last line of defense. Letting out a vicious snarl, he began grabbing pirates and throwing them into each other and against the wall. Bright purple beams shot out from each of his four hands and melted through flesh, and bodies dropped to the floor.

He could have done that to any of the ninja the whole time, and that frightened them.

Jay, ever the faithful captain, rushed in to Flintlocke’s side and began firing streams of lightning at Garmadon’s back. There was a terrible crackling sound as the bolts struck his bare back, but Garmadon hardly reacted beyond turning around to begin rushing Jay. As the distance between them quickly shortened, Jay stood his ground and continued firing lightning, all while Garmadon ran right through it all and fought away any pirates in his way.

As soon as Garmadon swung at Jay’s head, Nya was there to kick him away, and Cole right beside her.

“Thanks, guys,” Jay sighed, waving his hands around to dispel the large amount of lightning he had summoned. “That…could have gone badly.”

“Anytime, Bluejay,” Cole snickered, but quickly looked back to Garmadon, who had recovered quickly.

Lloyd and Kai joined the three with their elements following their swift movements like streaks of light. Hot flames came with each of Kai’s punches, and bright green light seemed to illuminate Lloyd’s entire body as he exchanged blows with his father.

“Keep firing!” Flintlocke called to the remaining pirates, and firearms began going off again in Garmadon’s direction. In response, Garmadon shifted his position so that the ninja were right between him and the pirates.

**“Tell your men to stop firing, Walker,”** Garmadon roared. **“You’re risking your own allies getting shot. That would be rather messy, wouldn’t it?”**

“Don’t listen to him, Flintlocke,” Jay called back with his face twisting in concentration as he focused his element into his attacks. “Give him all you’ve got!”

**“Wrong answer!”** Garmadon yelled before kicking Lloyd away and raising all four of his hands into the air, much like before. Purple energy began to bound the legs and arms of each of the pirates, raising them into the air with an invisible force.

Lloyd’s eyes widened as he quickly recognized the ability. This was the same way Garmadon began to torture prisoners. The same way he had intended to rip flesh, bones, and tendons to tear Ultra Violet’s body in half.

Kai rose into the air, trapped under the same power. Then Cole. Then Jay. Then Nya.

Seliel and Zane fell victim to the same power soon after, leaving Lloyd for last. The blonde struggled against the purple energy wrapping tightly around his limbs so much that it _hurt_ , but his efforts were futile. Lloyd hung in the air helpless just like the rest.

Garmadon paced back and forth as he quietly examined his captives, a pleased smile resting on his mouth. Then, he turned to the doors, knowing who was there. **“You can come in now, _brother._ I am now finished humoring your new students.”**

Wu entered quickly, his eyes widening at the sight. His grip tightened on his staff. “You are clearly here to get even with me. So, why don’t you save me the theatrics and get to the point?”

**“These aren’t theatrics, Wu, this is just the most enjoyable way of dealing with rebels who oppose me,”** Garmadon mused.

“Then finish it!” Cole spat. 

Jay’s eyebrows furled worriedly. “I’d rather we _not_ die, thank you, _Cole!_ ”

“You have postponed this fight for years,” Wu went on, now starting to slowly circle around the training ground while Garmadon did the same across from him. “What finally convinced you to do the job yourself?”

**“You know exactly what you did,”** Garmadon’s voice raised higher, sending shivers down the ninja’s spines. **“You knew you’d never be strong enough to challenge me, not with how weak you’ve become in your old age,”** Garmadon gestured to Wu’s figure dismissively. **“So you decided to take my own _son_ for your own and twist his mind to see _me_ as his enemy.”**

Wu made no attempt to dispute this, continuing to listen silently.

**“You knew that the princess was your best chance of ending my rule, but you knew you wouldn’t last on your own trying to keep her safe.”** Garmadon peered around at his captives. **“Along with my son whom you brainwashed, you took a band of reckless, inexperienced teenagers and made them _ninja_.” **Garmadon laughed mockingly. **“You never did stop believing in Father’s thousand-year-old practices, did you? This is a very different world now, Wu. I’ve made sure to keep it that way.”**

“You already know why I don’t agree with how you govern this world,” Wu shook his head sadly. “You’ve made Ninjago a miserable place for anyone to live in. You rule unjustly and control people through fear and deception.” Wu took a deep breath and prepared to fight. “That, brother, is why I have organized this ‘rebellion’ against you. That is why I have trained ninja.”

Garmadon scoffed. **“And now, your ninja are going to die. Fantastic work as always, Wu.”**

“I thought you’d want a fair fight,” Wu said. “Fighting me after you’ve killed all of my students would hardly be fair.”

**“You only say that because you’d be too miserable to offer a challenge afterwards,”** Garmadon laughed.

Wu didn’t disagree.

Garmadon attacked first, barraging Wu with a flurry of punches which were expertly blocked by a swift turn of his staff. However, Wu quickly took the fight into his favor and began jabbing forward at Garmadon, who narrowly twisted back and forth to bring himself just out of Wu’s reach. 

“He needs our help,” Seliel cried, straining helplessly against the dark purple bonds. “If I could just…get my…hand…out of this awful…thing…!”

“It’s no use,” Zane surmised. “After running a scan, I predict that no amount of human strength can break through Emperor Garmadon’s power.”

“Maybe no human strength, but we’ve all got powers,” Nya grunted. “Maybe try focusing your powers on each other, and we can break the bonds.”

“Most of our powers could kill each other,” Jay shook his head. “I’d rather not send volts of electricity through your body, even if it freed you.”

“What about your power, Nya?” Cole asked. “Water’s probably the _only_ power that can’t actually hurt anyone.”

“I’ll have you know-“

“No, no, he’s right, Nya,” Lloyd cut in, his body relaxing into the bonds and appearing much calmer than the rest. “Your power can’t hurt us. Maybe you can try using water to _push_ us out of the bonds.”

“An excellent idea,” Zane nodded. “It’s the best element we could use outside of those that Skylor has previously absorbed.”

“Oh, no, _Skylor_ ,” Seliel realized. “Is she…?”

“She’s lying on the ground on the other side of the doors,” Kai said, looking out in that direction as if he could see her right now. “I don’t think she’s in any shape to help us, let alone walk with a stabbed leg.”

“She could bleed out,” Lloyd nodded slowly. “Here’s the plan: Nya, use your water powers to free _Kai_ first.”

“Why Kai?” Jay asked.

“Because we need someone who’ll be able to rush out the doors without Garmadon catching them,” Lloyd explained, turning back to where Wu and Garmadon were still in a heated battle. “Kai, as soon as you’re free, I want you to create a giant fire all around you. It’ll make a barrier so that my father won’t be able to grab you before you get to Skylor. Help her out best you can.”

“What about the rest of us?” Seliel asked.

“My father is going to be focused on us as soon as Kai breaks free, so I want Nya to use her power to get Cole free next.” Lloyd eyed the Earth Ninja seriously. “I need you to back up my uncle and keep my father fighting. Use your brute strength against him. He’s barely seen what you’re capable of yet.”

“I’ll do my best,” Cole nodded.

“Next, free the rest of us one at a time,” Lloyd looked back to Nya. “Free me last, though.”

Nya appeared confused. “Free you last? Lloyd, you’re the strongest of all of us. What if your father notices what I’m doing too soon and-“

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take, and I can’t have his attention focused on me,” Lloyd shook his head. “Not when he’s already inside the Monastery.” Lloyd’s eyes fixated on the doors in front of him, and Nya’s eyes widened knowingly.

“Harumi’s in there,” she realized.

“Yes, and I have to protect her,” Lloyd nodded. “I’ll find a way to get you free before I head in after her, I promise.”

“Okay.” With that, Nya turned her head to watch her brother, raising her fingers and slowly forming a large water droplet that began to seep into the space between Kai’s wrists and the bonds that held them. After some struggle, Kai slipped right out, falling on his face.

“Ow,” he muttered.

“Kai, _go!_ ” Lloyd hissed.

“Oh yeah, right,” Kai nodded, breaking off into a run. Just as planned, he created a tall wall of fire between him and Garmadon, and successfully made his way out the door.

The rest of the plan went as intended, with Cole joining the fight alongside Wu, and Jay, Zane, and Seliel right behind him. Nya focused one more time to break Lloyd free, and his shoes hit the stone ground with a soft tap. 

“Now, just stay perfectly still, Nya,” Lloyd said, taking a deep breath as he lit up his hands with green energy. “I’ve got you free quick as I can, I just-“

“Lloyd, behind you!” Nya screamed, her eyes locking on something just over Lloyd’s shoulder. As he spun to meet the oncoming attack with a tightened fist, he was blasted back by a strong beam of dark energy. Helplessly, his body was hurled through the doors to the Monastery, and continuing flying down the hall before coming to a messy, painful stop on the hard kitchen floor.

Lloyd’s vision fizzled out and his eyelids twitched in a desperate attempt to recover himself and see where his father was. The searing pain in his chest hardly registered in his mind until the shock quickly spilled over and his eyes turned down to the torn tunic of his gi.

There, in a disgusting mess of crimson blood and leftover streams of purple energy sporadically dancing over his chest, was a perfect hole. It hadn’t gone all the way through, only burning through most layers of skin and some muscle, filling Lloyd’s nose with a distasteful smell that only mixed with the scent of blood. Feeling like he was frozen and on fire at the same time, Lloyd clutched a hand to his chest, effectively covering it in blood as his knees gave out and he collapsed onto his back.

Lloyd could only hear his own, labored breathing coming out scratchy and heavy.

One more sound joined in soon after, but Lloyd barely noticed it. It was Garmadon’s voice that he finally picked up.

**“Heal yourself like before, _boy_ ,” **Garmadon mocked, walking over with all four of his hands folded behind his back. **“I know you’re not that useless.”**

Lloyd’s jaw tightened and he tried to speak, but breathing was already too hard. His hand that rested on his chest began clawing helplessly.

**“Go on, _heal_! Use your power to undo the effects of my energy beam.” **Garmadon’s head lifted and his eyes stared straight forward. **“You’d better hurry, because I’ve nearly found her.”**

Lloyd’s eyes shifted to the broken doors from where Garmadon had came, waiting for any of the ninja to hurry in after them. It was silent outside. Lloyd’s heart sank.

_Guys, I need help!_ He mentally screamed into the bond. _Harumi, she’s- you’ve gotta- help her…_

No answer.

Garmadon took a single step, and Lloyd shut his eyes tightly. A sphere of energy expanded across his chest.

Garmadon began walking faster. Lloyd began focusing the energy into the wound.

Garmadon had passed two rooms now. Moving on to the third. Lloyd’s heart was racing, and he had never felt weaker.

**“Where do you keep her, Lloyd?”** Garmadon said in almost a sing-song voice, kicking down every door as he came to it. **“Where is she?”**

Lloyd was nearly halfway done with sealing the skin back together, and then-

“AA _AAAhhhhhh!_ ” Lloyd cried out, throwing his head back and effectively hitting it against the wall.

Garmadon took a quick glance back at his son. **“Trying to heal yourself too hastily? I said to put yourself back together, not make the hole even bigger.”**

Lloyd gritted his teeth and began again, feeling the surge of hot energy tug at his skin.

**“Come out, Princess!”** Garmadon called, still kicking down doors. **“Your errand boy is in no shape to protect you now.”**

Lloyd looked back and widened his eyes. Garmadon had now approached the door to Harumi’s room. He prayed that Harumi had hidden somewhere else…

Garmadon kicked down the door, and instead of a white-haired princess attempting to get away, a female Nindroid met Garmadon’s face with a metal foot. The emperor wailed in pain and stumbled back, and Pixal stood her ground. However, upon turning to look at the Green Ninja lying on the ground, she lowered her guard, her mouth hanging open in shock. “M-Master Lloyd, are you-AH!”

Garmadon reached out and grabbed Pixal by the throat, seeming to be attempting to choke her, but Nindroids weren’t built like that. Pixal simply gave the dark lord a stubborn scowl and brought her knee up to his chest, but it was ultimately futile. Garmadon held Pixal up in the air like she was nothing and threw her through the wall, leaving a gaping hole the shape of her body.

Lloyd cried out silently for Pixal, still unable to get anything to come out his mouth besides a scream or groan, and focused his attention back on his wound. Garmadon was now entering the bedroom, and was out of Lloyd’s sight.

**“There you are,”** Garmadon smiled with his sharp teeth showing. Harumi was curled up on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest and staring at him with fear. **“It’s been quite an unnecessary hassle, deploying my soldiers, taking over Chen’s island, engaging search parties all over Ninjago…”** Garmadon’s red eyes narrowed. **“All for one girl.”**

Harumi began standing to her feet, backing away from the bed and from him, and Garmadon hardly made a move after her. After all, the door he was blocking was the only way in or out. **“I see why my brother went through all of this trouble to keep you alive. You’re the only remnant of your royal family, and yet you can hardly go anywhere without having my son by your side to blow up my soldiers left and right.”** Garmadon grimaced. **“This has been quite a costly chase, all things considered.”**

Harumi’s left hand snaked along the wall behind her as if searching for something to fight with, but the walls of the room were just as empty as the rest of the room. Biting her bottom lip and trying her best to swallow her rising urge to scream for help, Harumi straightened her shoulders. “I think it’s perfectly understandable why I ran.”

**“It proves that my rule was necessary, however,”** Garmadon said. **“Just like your parents, you were incapable of strengthening Ninjago. You would rather let enemies rise up over time while you attempt pointless peace treaties with them, when you’ve always had the numbers and firepower to rival nearly anyone.”**

Harumi kept backing away, and Garmadon laughed.

**“We could discuss this all day, Princess, but it would benefit me very little. I have come to finish what my son could not.”** Stepping forward quicker now, Garmadon’s tall, large frame towered over Harumi and she found herself pushing against the corner. With a small grunt, she swung forward with her right fist and aimed to strike Garmadon’s cheek. Instead, her wrist was caught by one of Garmadon’s lower hands. **“I’m surprised he never taught you how to fight.”**

“Let…me… _go!_ ” Harumi continued grunting, pulling back as hard as she could. 

**“Unfortunately for you, Princess, your death has become much more useful to me. My son…”** Garmadon winced, as if afraid to admit, **“… _favors_ you. If this was just about killing you quickly and denying my brother yet another victory, I’d end you right here. But now, you’ve become the source of so many of my problems.” **Garmadon let out a low growl. 

Harumi continued tugging, before her angry eyes shifted from Garmadon to the figure that had slowly limped its way to the doorway, and was readying himself to fight. Desperate to stall time, Harumi asked, “How did I do that?”

Lloyd gave a weak smile of gratitude.

**“You’ve effectively charmed your way into Lloyd’s heart somehow, and he holds you higher above anyone else.”** Garmadon seemed disgusted at the thought. **“Even enough to betray his own father.”**

Lloyd had begun to take slow, silent steps.

Harumi took a breath. “Can you blame him?”

Garmadon’s head slightly tilted. **“You’ve filled his mind with as many lies and traitorous thoughts as my brother no doubt has. That is unforgivable.”**

Standing close behind his father, Lloyd quickly formed a beam of energy between his hands and released it, hitting his father square in the back and causing an ear-piercing, almost demonic scream to spill from Garmadon’s mouth. The Emperor crashed forward into Harumi, sliding them both against the wall as he did.

Harumi screamed at the sudden contact and crawled away, hurrying to Lloyd’s side. A strong, protective hand held Harumi back as the other summoned more green energy, and Harumi’s fear was nearly forgotten for a moment as relief and admiration overwhelmed her.

Garmadon, breathing laboriously as Lloyd had been, struggled to lift himself onto his elbows and turn his head to face his son. Green residue dissipated in the air from the hole in his back. 

“Move,” Lloyd’s voice raised and he pushed Harumi out of the room. “Now.”

“Lloyd, is he gonna get back up?” Harumi asked with an uncharacteristic amount of fear tracing her words, and Lloyd had to try his best to ignore Harumi’s hand squeezing his fingers shakingly. His attention was on getting Harumi out of the Monastery and far away from Garmadon, but then realization hit him. He came to an abrupt stop as soon as he pushed past the broken doors.

The training floor was empty. There were no ninja to be seen and even the bodies of dead pirates had mysteriously vanished since Lloyd had last been here. 

“W-where did they go?” Harumi asked, gripping Lloyd tighter. “All of them – just gone…”

Lloyd pressed into the mental bond again, hoping that Skylor being injured hadn’t hurt anything. _Kai! Jay! Cole! Nya! Where are you guys? Zane? Seliel?_

No answer.

“Harumi, we need to get to the _Bounty…_ ”

“What about Jay’s ship? Wasn’t one of the pirates getting it ready on one of the other mountains?”

“I think so. But we’ll never make it there on foot,” Lloyd shook his head. “Maybe if-“

**“I wasn’t aware of Captain Walker’s ship being nearby,”** Garmadon’s voice jolted both Lloyd and Harumi as he approached them from behind. **“I’ll be sure to destroy that before I’m done.”**

“How is he-?” Harumi started, shifting to hide behind Lloyd’s shoulder.

Garmadon stood naturally as if Lloyd’s hit had never happened. **“You really did take me by surprise, Lloyd. I can at least still admire your technique. Still, you should’ve expected I’d prepare for something like that.”**

Lloyd raised a brow, silently asking for an explanation.

**“To be honest, I hadn’t had a reason to use my powers to heal wounds in over a decade,”** Garmadon said. **“But after finding you in your room that night, healing cuts like they never existed, I had the idea to practice it again.”** He smirked. **“If you hadn’t given me the idea, I might not have walked away from your assault unscathed.”**

Lloyd was looking around for an escape – an opening somewhere, a section of wall that wasn’t too tall for him to vault himself and Harumi over before Garmadon could grab her…

But there was nothing.

“You still expected me to heal myself, didn’t you?” Lloyd realized, deciding to keep Garmadon talking in the very least. “I couldn’t tell whether or not you were sure I could do it.”

**“Yes, I knew you could do it, I just hadn’t expected you to heal so quickly,”** Garmadon admitted. Gesturing a hand towards Harumi, he added, **“I was planning on grabbing her and getting you two together to make things easier.”** His blood red eyes danced around the training grounds mockingly. **“This’ll do just fine.”**

Lloyd hesitated before asking, “I’m assuming we can’t come to a deal here?”

**“You know me better than that, Lloyd.”**

“I thought I did,” Lloyd nodded. “Nowadays, I’m just not sure.”

**“You’re stalling.”**

“Not a whole lot else I can do.”

Garmadon eyed Lloyd carefully as he chose his words. **“I was willing to give you a chance. To come back to me. To leave your traitorous uncle and that… _woman_ , and move past this. I had honestly hoped this was all a result of you being brainwashed and there was still some amount of value in you.” **Garmadon sighed. **“You’re a failure, Lloyd, and a waste of my time.”**

Lloyd’s composure fell a bit, his ready glare being replaced by a rush of shame and even guilt. _Why should I feel guilty? He’s the one who’s wrong here._

Harumi seemed to think the same way, running a reassuring hand down his back. “You’re not a failure,” she whispered, barely audible enough for Lloyd to pick up. “You can beat him.”

And for possibly the first time since the initial attack, Lloyd felt frightened at the thought. _Beating him? No, it won’t stop – **can’t** stop there. Killing him is my only option. Harumi will never be safe as long as he’s alive. But he’s my dad._

_He hates your guts._

_-he raised me-_

_He only raised you for war._

_-he taught me-_

_Wu taught you more in a month than he taught in twenty years._

_-he just wants me back-_

_Yeah, back to carry out his dirty work._

_-the others might be spared-_

_No, they won’t. He’ll kill them right in front of you if you give in._

Garmadon made an impatient sound, stepping closer to the two. **“If you won’t act first, I will-“**

“No, wait,” Lloyd held a hand up, stepping confidently forward as well, further standing as a wall between Garmadon and Harumi. “I will fight you.”

Garmadon nodded and assumed a readied position, as if this relationship-shattering decision hadn’t affected him at all. His own son was determined to choose the princess’ life over that of his own father, and Garmadon barely batted an eye.

Before deciding on his first attack, Lloyd reached back behind his head to clutch the fabric of his mask. Taking one last look at his father as just simply his son, Lloyd pulled the mask down over his face. In a way, it was to hide his anxiety, but it more importantly symbolized a seal that came down to separate the son from the father forever.

Lloyd’s heart sank again. _Way to make it more dramatic._

Lloyd called upon the greatest amount of power he could without tiring himself, focusing that power into every punch. He came at Garmadon violently, green particles trailing behind him as his body flipped around and swung punch after punch. Garmadon had begun blocking but Lloyd still got a few successful hits in, and this fueled him to push even further.

Garmadon kicked Lloyd back, and the Green Ninja recovered himself in the air, swinging right back into the fight. This was how it went for a while, both talented fighters exchanging blows, with the smaller ones being blocked or deflected, and larger ones sending the other opponent back. Each time, Garmadon and Lloyd would pick themselves back up instantly and come back stronger.

As a fist illuminated with dark purple swung forward to meet his nose, Lloyd stepped back, making an easy mistake since Garmadon only needed to extend his reach. Lloyd was certain blood was trickling down his nose now as he took a moment to squeeze the sore skin. Still, he waved it off and sent a swift kick to Garmadon’s legs. They gave out, and Lloyd kicked again for the face, not expecting Garmadon to blast the ground underneath him and jettison himself upward. As he reached the height of his ascent, Garmadon dove down toward Lloyd, all four fists illuminated, and Lloyd swerved to the side.

One of Garmadon’s hands crashed into the stone floor merely inches from Lloyd’s face, and just like that, the fight went back to normal.

Garmadon was getting tired of playing the defensive, and quickly overpowered Lloyd. An extra pair of arms meant he could land twice the amount of punches Lloyd could, and some were simply too low or too high to deflect. One fist rocketed into Lloyd’s left shoulder; the Green Ninja slid back and held his hand at the spot before bracing himself for Garmadon’s next attack. Two more punches were blocked, and then a third hit Lloyd straight in the neck.

Lloyd had never known a pain like that before. Falling onto his back, Lloyd heaved for breath, feeling more winded than ever before. Garmadon took the opportunity to crash down on Lloyd’s body with two fists enflamed with purple light, and they sent a mix of pain and cold, continuous energy throughout Lloyd.

Lloyd could hear Harumi calling his name fearfully from the sidelines, being the only thing he could focus on as Garmadon continued laying into him with more and more force each time. His body ached all over, and one leg felt numb; still, Lloyd wouldn’t give up. He needed to get back up, he needed to-

**“I think you’ve suffered enough,”** Garmadon spat as he stood back, looking down on his son disgustedly. **“There will be plenty of time to continue this later on.”**

Lloyd’s eyes widened as he realized what his father was insinuating, and he reached out a shaky hand towards Harumi, who he could have sworn was right behind him…

Harumi let out a muffled scream as Garmadon took her into his lower arms and forced a clawed hand over her mouth. Her back was pressed against his chest, trapped in place where Lloyd could only watch her frightened eyes, and the pair of blood red ones many inches above her head. Emperor Garmadon always seemed tallest when he had his latest prey in his grasp.

**“I was going to kill her quickly,”** Garmadon mused, repeating what he’d told himself on the way here. **“But now I’m curious just how far I can strain her small body before it breaks…”** As his lower hands gripped her shoulders like knives, and his upper left hand held over Harumi’s mouth, the last hand rested on the top of her head. The fingers pet Harumi’s head with mock tenderness, running through strands of white hair while the other three hands were anything but gentle. He was toying with her – putting her through pain to get in Lloyd’s head and make him cave.

Lloyd muttered a groggy “ _Nooo…”_ as he could now taste the blood dripping into his lips. He tried ignoring the pain and forcing his body to stand up, but he couldn’t. It was as if an invisible weight was once again holding him down, but this time Garmadon didn’t even have to raise a finger. Lloyd was too badly injured to fight any longer.

**“She’s trembling,”** Garmadon broached, his mouth opening in a fanged smile, his eyes shifting from the girl in his arms to the boy reaching out for her on the ground. That free hand now danced across Harumi’s cheek, his sharp nails sending visible shivers through the princess’ body. **“Despite everything, you chose a lovely woman, Lloyd. It’s a shame I’ll have to waste her.”**

“Shut up, you… _wretch_ ,” Lloyd groaned out from the ground, his eyes now glowing with a mixture of power and hatred. 

**“Let’s not be hasty, Lloyd, things are already looking bad enough for your princess,”** Garmadon clicked his tongue disappointedly. **“Insulting me won’t make things any better.”** As he spoke, he let the hand on Harumi’s cheek slowly begin to summon dark energy, and Harumi shut her eyes in apparent discomfort, letting out a shaky cry from behind the other hand that pressed against her mouth.

“Stop!” Lloyd called, but this time it was a _command_ rather than a plea. His eyes had begun to glow bright enough to cast the green light across the stone underneath him, but Garmadon seemed hardly intimidated. “Let her _go._ ”

**“You put on a tough face, but you’re in no condition to make demands _or_ challenge anything I do to her.” **Garmadon’s hand seemed to glow increasingly just as Lloyd’s eyes did. Harumi had begun to squirm. **“Her death will not be pleasant.”** The hand had completely flattened across Harumi’s cheek now, and black lines slowly spread from the building energy to cascade across the girl’s face and then down her neck. Harumi’s eyes were shut tight as she convulsed and struggled to break free, but brightness rivaling even Lloyd’s begun to seep through, this time with the same dark purple as Garmadon’s hand.

Lloyd choked on blood. “You’re…corrupting her!”

Garmadon nodded. **“In the case of our dead ally Chen, taking on elemental powers for yourself is more than doable and completely harmless, but having an element _forced_ into oneself…” **Garmadon slowly shook his head, as if this somehow troubled him. **“…that could kill any normal human being. They would essentially decay and destroy themselves from the inside out.”** The Emperor smirked down at his work, as Harumi’s face continued to be covered in ugly purple and black lines that resembled veins pulsing. **“How do you feel, Princess?”**

Harumi sobbed underneath his hand.

**“I’d give her a couple more minutes before my work is done and the power I’m planting in her will do the rest,”** Garmadon mused. **“It’ll no doubt be disturbing to watch.”**

Harumi’s eyes finally opened and she looked down at Lloyd, her eyes filled with a brilliant bright purple that appeared both wondrous and horrifying at the same time. At first, all Lloyd saw in them was fear and pain, but after a while…

Hatred? Anger? Disappointment?

Lloyd realized it wasn’t just towards Garmadon, but towards him as well. Hadn’t he failed to protect her? Hadn’t his incapability brought about the absolute worst demise she could endure?

Lloyd knew that a lot of that hatred and emotion reflected from Harumi’s eyes was coming from Garmadon’s power. It was pure Darkness and Destruction, and would no doubt drive any being weaker than the Emperor himself insane. Lloyd knew – _had_ to believe – that this wasn’t all coming from her.

But some of it was, and he totally deserved it. He didn’t deserve Harumi’s love or attention – never _did_ – and now, he wouldn’t be surprised if she left him in a situation where they both lived past this.

Lloyd could only mutter an “I’m so sorry…” before he nearly broke down at the sight of Harumi rapidly decaying. Her body had nearly fallen limp and lifeless under Garmadon’s grip, her eyes now devoid of any emotion at all and reflecting nothing. She was no longer fighting back. Her eyes were focused on where Lloyd lay helpless, but they were more or less staring off into space than actually noticing him anymore.

Lloyd hoped and prayed that she wasn’t **_dead._**

The feeling of emptiness and guilt he experienced at being partly responsible for Ultra Violet’s own violent death was amplified ten times over. Even Garmadon himself seemed unsure if the corruption had already finished the job.

**“She has a strong will, but I doubt there’s much life left in her to recover such a traumatic experience.”** Still, Garmadon raised an eyebrow as his grip on Harumi lessened and she still didn’t fall down dead. **“I’ve only done this a few times before…perhaps her body is reacting differently and I just need to finish her off the old fashioned way.”** Garmadon watched Lloyd for a reaction as he spoke. **“It wasn’t long ago I had planned for you to end this.”**

“I told you…” Lloyd started as he watched Garmadon set Harumi down onto the ground just a few inches away. “…I won’t kill her. And I won’t let you, either!”

Garmadon walked back from where he had grabbed a katana from one of the racks. _One of Kai’s,_ Lloyd noticed absentmindedly. **“Let go of your foolish optimism. She’s practically dead already, I simply have to ensure it.”** He peered down at Harumi’s body thoughtfully, watching the hauntingly slow rise and fall of her chest as she seemed to barely breathe. **“One swift slice through her chest and the deed will be done.”** Garmadon sneered at Lloyd. **“Then, your punishment will be complete.”**

Lloyd began scrambling to his feet again, crying out in anguish as the injuries continued to hold him down. His bloody hand reached out to touch Harumi, but she was just out of reach. Garmadon noticed this, and his boot came crashing down onto Lloyd’s hands, nearly crushing his fingers. Lloyd nearly screamed, biting his bottom lip to hold it in.

**“I’ve ruined you enough already, haven’t I?”** Garmadon challenged. **“As satisfying as it would be to kill you both today, I have plans for you moving forward. So…”** Garmadon’s foot pressed into Lloyd’s hand further, earning a wail from the blonde, **“…don’t tempt me to end your miserable life right now.”** With that, Garmadon turned his back on his son and raised the katana above his head, letting out a satisfied roar before bringing the blade down to Harumi’s chest. The nearly lifeless princess barely blinked as the attack came down on her.

Lloyd reached out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go...


	39. Responsible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything has come full circle for Lloyd as he confronts his father. As things seem dire, a second power comes into play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter. Surprised? Yeah, me neither.  
> I rewrote sections of this multiple times, which is the main reason for this coming out so late. I really wanna end this right, so I hope you guys can understand.

Harumi could only remember a painful sensation breaking over her face and spreading down her body before everything had gone black. It felt as if a hundred tiny, cold slugs had danced all over her skin and left her writhing in pain as they went. When the dark lines enveloped her forehead, Harumi remembered feeling a familiar sensation – blood rushing to her head when trying to sleep upside down as a child – but amplified tenfold. She could hardly focus her eyes on Lloyd – oh no, _Lloyd_ – before that feeling in her brain made her sick and she could no longer keep her eyelids from shutting.

Everything felt cold and empty for a while. Harumi thought she could hear noises faintly outside her vast, empty void. _Voices_ , maybe. Harumi could hardly think about it before falling further into a painful, freezing slumber, where she felt less and less like herself by the second.

She barely noticed when comforting, breathtaking warmth caught her body and spread across her. As her mind struggled to adapt to it underneath the pain and pressure, Harumi could have sworn she heard Lloyd’s voice as her body gradually restored. The cold feeling swiftly spread off of her, and her mind was finally free for her to think for herself and control her own body. She opened her eyes.

As soon as the sun’s own light illuminated her world once again, Harumi’s attention was drawn to the brilliant golden light that covered every inch of her body like a translucent shield. Breath was forced into Harumi’s lungs and she opened her mouth wide to exhale. Her eyes opened wide, although something about them felt different. In fact, everything about her felt different and the same all at once.

Harumi peered down in shock. Was she… _floating_?

After taking a few moments to take in her surroundings and her strange new surge of life, Harumi noticed the normally straight-shouldered towering Emperor Garmadon on the ground with his face wincing back…fearfully? That couldn’t be right…

Harumi turned her head to Lloyd, relieved to see him still alive, and he was lying there close to the spot her feet hovered above, his eyes wide like hers and also seeming somewhat different. Harumi was stuck seeing the world through a gold-tinted lens, so it wasn’t easy to make out what didn’t seem right.

“Harumi!” Lloyd exclaimed, his voice coarse and rough. The princess noticed the amount of blood staining his face and felt the urge to reach down and fix him. Wait…fix him? Before Harumi could think, she was floating back down to the ground and had gotten onto one knee, feeling warm trails of gold light following behind her movements. Lloyd actually jolted back out of fear, and Harumi’s eyebrows furled in confusion. She was alive and here for him, wasn’t she? She just needed to reach forward and she could take his pain away-

Where was _that_ coming from?

Harumi pressed a hand to Lloyd’s neck, and they both shook with surprise as massive amounts of energy seemed to stream from one body to the other. Harumi watched Lloyd’s skin heal over at incredibly efficient speed, far faster than she’d ever see Lloyd do it. Within a few moments, he was breathing healthily and looked like brand new, albeit still shocked beyond belief. Harumi felt a bit drained from the contact, but any thoughts of that only stuck around for a moment. He was better now. She had helped him.

Lloyd slowly stood to his feet now, clearly not sure whether or not to expect his legs to actually work, and he let out a shaky, relieved laugh as he straightened out. His eyes had begun glowing green like before, this time with shades of gold often taking its place for a moment. The Green Ninja looked better than ever.

“Harumi, you…I…how did you…your whole _body_ , it’s-“ Lloyd trailed off and shook his head in disbelief, looking her over. “Harumi, you’re all _gold_.”

Harumi lifted an arm to look at it, and for the first time, she reacted in a way that anyone else would have expected: she screamed –albeit in a modest, princess-like fashion, of course – and stumbled back, still feeling that warmth enveloping her. She no longer felt directed by pure emotion any longer, and her mind was now able to process things fully. “Y-you’re right, I am…”

Garmadon had at some point gotten back to his feet and stood not far away. **“You can’t have possibly inherited such power.”** Garmadon growled. **“Tell me who you stole it from, _girl._ ”**

Harumi’s eyebrows raised and her shoulders slumped. “I…didn’t steal any _power_ , that’s ridiculous.”

“Harumi, I think somehow you’ve…” Lloyd pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, once again shaking in disbelief. “Somehow you’re using the Golden Power.” Raising his other hand to gently graze Harumi’s golden arm, he added, “And you healed me with it.”

Garmadon had begun slowly approaching, his four hands extending like dragon claws. The shock of Harumi’s sudden transformation had quickly worn off. Golden or not, Princess Harumi would die just like the rest. Shuddering back, Harumi moved beside Lloyd and grabbed his hand. Regardless of the nature of the contact, the gold energy once again burst inside of Harumi and spread itself to Lloyd. Harumi pried her hand away in an effort to stop the wild yet energizing ripples, but it seemed to continue regardless of whether or not they were touching.

Lloyd’s gi turned gold first, the black and green color somehow changing right before Harumi’s eyes. Shades of dark green covered the various belts, ties, and details, while the symbol of a dragon’s face materialized across the back of the gi. If Lloyd’s skin had turned golden too, Harumi didn’t have enough time to notice. Lloyd pulled the golden hood over his face and clenched his fists, now seeming almost unrecognizable.

Garmadon didn’t seem to give a crap and charged at Lloyd with a larger amount of energy than before. Lloyd was pushed back, but he merely slowed himself in the air and floated back down, his feet seeming to send small gold sparks across the ground as he lowered himself. Lloyd brought his hands to his chest, building up his normal elemental energy that now bore the same color as his gi. Upon release, the gold energy blasted into Garmadon and sent him flying.

Lloyd turned his head to Harumi, who tilted her own gold head as if to say “Yeah, I have no clue either.” Expecting Garmadon to get back up more frustrated than before, Lloyd formed gold energy in one hand while the other reached across to shield Harumi. To his surprise, Garmadon remained on the ground, seated on his backside with his lower pair of hands clawed into the stone. The rim of his helmet shielded his expression, but Lloyd could hear the worried breathing from several feet away.

Harumi’s eyebrows furled and her lips parted as if to ask the obvious question, but then the Emperor shifted his position, lifting his shoulders.

 **“H-how…?”** he asked, an uncharacteristic trembling behind his words. His blood red eyes stared right at Lloyd and then Harumi as he lifted his head. His jagged mouth hung open, his sharp teeth becoming more noticeable to Harumi than before. It nearly caused her to step back, and from the look of things, Lloyd felt the same way. Still, he held his spot and watched his father’s every move.

“Don’t play games with me, Father,” Lloyd yelled angrily, the gold energy in his palm growing brighter. “I’m not buying your trembling for a second.”

Garmadon’s eyes remained on Lloyd and then narrowed, only to be overtaken by rushing fear as Lloyd stepped closer. **“No! I…”** Looking around for a moment, Garmadon got to his feet and began slipping away, his lower hand running along the wall behind him. It wasn’t enough to multitask however; after coming across one of Cole’s punching bags, he stumbled due to keeping his eyes shifting between Lloyd and Harumi constantly. 

“Lloyd, what’s he doing…?” Harumi trailed off, and then sucked in sharply as her eyes met the spot Garmadon was slipping away to. “Lloyd, the _weapons_ -“ she hissed.

Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Get away from there!”

 **“I’m not interested in your _toys_ ,” **Garmadon insisted, shaking his head as he continued to step back even past the weapon chest. **“Stay _back_.”**

“What?” Lloyd scoffed, reaching his arms out loosely for good measure. “It’s been that long since destiny chose someone to use the Golden Power that you’re afraid of it?” The blonde was now smirking beneath his mask, and Garmadon’s reaction only made it that much sweeter.

 **“N-no-I…naugh!”** Garmadon let out an exasperated sigh. **“You don’t understand what you’re wielding-“**

“I don’t know, it already feels pretty familiar to me,” Lloyd said. As he said this, however, the gold faded away. “…what?”

Garmadon reacted almost instantly, leaping forward to slam into Lloyd and throw him against the ground. On top, Garmadon raised a clawed hand to strike, only for Harumi’s own hand to grab his with a newfound strength. 

Still gold and shining in the sun, Harumi gave a shy smile of confidence before twisting that arm behind Garmadon’s back and pulling him off of Lloyd. As she expected Garmadon to lash out at her, he began shaking nervously again, this time crawling helplessly away from Harumi. She stepped closer, and with each step, he scooted backwards. Watching his face and then Lloyd’s, her own expression brightened as it dawned on her. “Lloyd, come here-“

He was already there in front of her, pushing her away. “Harumi, stay _back_.”

“No, just listen,” Harumi raised her voice and then reached out to take his hand, and she shared the power with him again like before. “Wu said this power granted itself to people with pure hearts and intentions. Getting cocky and prideful must be reversing it.”

“I was just-“ Lloyd argued, but Harumi pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him. As her golden eyes met his lovingly, she wished their circumstances could be different. 

“What is your intention right now?” Harumi asked, her eyes faithfully staying on Lloyd as his attention shifted from her to Garmadon undecidedly. 

“I have to kill him,” Lloyd answered quickly, but as soon as the words left his lips, the gold began to fade. Garmadon looked conflicted as if he wasn’t sure whether or not to attack. 

Harumi squeezed Lloyd’s hand, and the gold returned. “I guess not.”

Lloyd shook his head. “I don’t care if _destiny_ doesn’t think that killing him is a _pure_ intention. It needs to be done. That’s what I’ve been training for all this time. That’s what _everyone_ says I should be doing right now.” In defiance, the gold retreated from his body again.

“If the Golden Power reacts negatively to it, maybe there’s a better way of dealing with him,” Harumi suggested. She squeezed again, but this time the gold struggled to return to Lloyd. “You can’t have that kind of mindset or the power won’t accept you.”

Lloyd was staring at Garmadon fully now, his eyes no longer bothering to meet Harumi. Still, his hand tangled in hers squeezed back fondly. “He’s hidden all of our friends,” Lloyd reminded her shakingly. “He’s a murderer and he tried to kill _you_.”

 **“You don’t have the guts to do it,”** Garmadon laughed darkly, beginning to stand to his feet. However, when Harumi stepped forward, he decided against it.

“He’s afraid of it,” Harumi commented simply, continuing to step forward. 

“Harumi, what are you doing?” Lloyd asked, his voice raising in concern as he followed after her. Garmadon began stumbling back violently, but hit the wall and could only push against Harumi as she reached out her right hand in front of his face. The usually strong, capable Emperor hissed back like a child refusing cough serum. Harumi persisted.

“Harumi…” Lloyd began, fighting the urge to pull Harumi’s hand back. “He’s trying to _trick_ you.”

“Just look,” Harumi insisted, reaching out enough to press a hand to Garmadon’s neck. He scowled at her as if she had committed a great offense, but still knew better than to fight her. The gold energy pulsated from her palm to his coal black skin. Garmadon groaned in a mix of pain and comfort.

Lloyd couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Here was his father, the most feared man in Ninjago, writhing on the ground helplessly. Above him, there was sweet, harmless Princess Harumi glowing gold like an angel and approaching him without fear. If he got the chance to tell the story, Lloyd wasn’t certain anyone would believe him.

“Hey,” Harumi’s soft voice called him out of his thoughts, and she offered her hand again. He took it willingly, and after calming his thoughts, the gold power spread over him. “Try touching him,” Harumi said. “He’s not just reacting out of hate – it seems to be helping him somehow.”

“The last thing I want is to help him,” Lloyd argued, but Harumi pulled his hand forward anyway and placed it on Garmadon’s shoulder. “How do you know what you’re doing? What if you’re just sharing the power with him?”

Harumi raised an eyebrow. “You think _he_ has pure intentions?”

“Fair point.” Lloyd’s attention turned back to Garmadon, noticing how he had shut his eyes in concentration. “Why are you resisting so aggressively, Father?”

“He knows something about this power that we don’t,” Harumi surmised.

“Agreed,” Lloyd nodded. His hand on Garmadon gripped tighter, to the point where he’d be digging in with his fingernails if he wasn’t wearing gloves. “Where are my friends?”

Garmadon began to sputter incomprehensible nonsense before uttering the word, “arena.”

“What?” Harumi asked, all while Lloyd stepped back in disbelief.

“You _didn’t…”_

 **“Sent them there…on my dragon…”** Garmadon continued to sputter for a bit after that, cringing back from Lloyd and Harumi’s hands. **“I’d finish them there…make them suffer longer…”**

“You’re sick,” Lloyd spoke in disgust before removing his hand and pulling Harumi away. “Come on, we’ve gotta get out of here.”

“How?” Harumi asked, looking back at Garmadon worriedly. “Lloyd, you’re just leaving him there-“

“Destiny said it wouldn’t let me kill him,” Lloyd reminded her, his tone of voice suggesting that he was still ticked off because of it. “Nothing I can do about him now, except…” He trailed off and then locked eyes with Harumi, who grinned.

“…capture,” she finished for him. 

“Pixal was knocked out on the side lawn somewhere,” Lloyd remembered as a plan began to formulate. “We’ll grab her and then get to the _Misfortune’s Keep._ I don’t know what’s taking Jay’s pilot so long, so I guess we’ll take my dragon over there and grab it. That should be the fastest way to Metalonia.”

“Metalonia? I thought the arena was under the city?”

“That’s the, uh…smaller one,” Lloyd coughed at the end, and then turned back to Garmadon. “You gonna help me find something to tie him up with?”

“Jay has a whole chest of extra chain for his nunchucks, doesn’t he?” Harumi suggested.

* * *

Bucko was a simple pirate. He’d joined Captain Walker’s crew five years ago, holding onto the man’s promise that one day they’d find the Cove of Crystal Waters and he’d get his share of the lake’s precious waters. It was a dream that plenty of other pirates shared, but that didn’t make it any less important to him.

Bucko had been given a few different responsibilities since joining the crew, but he’d never before been asked to watch over the _Keep_ all on his own and pilot it over for a dropoff and possibly pelt a corrupt Emperor with cannon fire. He’d been given that assignment hours ago, and now he was just waiting around with his feet propped against the back of Flintlocke’s favorite chair. He’d be ready to go as soon as Walker sent him the signal. He’d just wait for Walker to shine a light against the hill Bucko was on, and he’d get this ship into gear. 

Or maybe the signal was a message on the computer? Bucko couldn’t remember, not after the several bottles of alcohol he’d singlehandedly emptied and discarded onto the floor.

When Lloyd and Harumi practically kicked the door open, demanding to know why he was sitting down, Bucko wasn’t sure how to respond. How would any other man respond to a pair of bright angels bossing him around? He tried to mumble a few words before passing out. 

Lloyd rolled his eyes and turned to the controls.

* * *

“She’s bleeding out like this,” Kai muttered as he crouched beside Skylor and began digging through the garbage for anything that could help. “There’s nothing in this dump hole that I can even use!”

“That cloth,” Zane’s voice rose as he pointed to the corner of the pit where a large pile of garbage and scraps was left. “Get the cloth out from that pile.”

“What cloth?” Cole raised a brow but did as Zane suggested, pulling items out before coming across a long brown cloth. Tossing it to Kai, he said, “That should work to stop the bleeding, right?”

“Actually, I must insist that you allow me to do it,” Zane raised a hand and walked over to Kai. The Fire Ninja shrugged his shoulders and placed the cloth in Zane’s cold hands. “Hey, how did you know there was a cloth in there anyway?”

“I scanned for it,” Zane replied simply, turning his attention to Skylor, who was lying against the wall in pain. “This will require fast work,” Zane explained as he began pressing the cloth against Skylor’s leg. She hissed out in pain, and Zane muttered a quiet, “sorry” before continuing. “I must be careful not to make things worse by rushing, however. I will need to clean the wound.”

“We’ve got a Water Ninja for that, don’t we?” Seliel tilted her head towards Nya, who gave a shy smile and nodded.

“I’ve been practicing focusing my powers more accurately anyway.”

However, Skylor’s eyes widened a bit nervously and she shook her head at Zane. “No, the girl’s still new to this thing. Clean it out with something else-AH!” Fighting the urge to shake her leg, Skylor tilted her head back behind her shoulder and let out a string of moans and muffled curses.

“It was not a suggestion,” Zane replied solemnly. “You _must_ have your wound cleaned out, or chances of infection are greatly increased.”

“I get that,” Skylor bit her lip to stop from screaming. “But I’d rather not feel a pressurized beam of water blasting into it.”

Nya appeared somewhat offended by now, and Jay had come to rub her back reassuringly. Still, she was stubborn til’ the end. “I promise you, Skylor – I _have_ improved. I’ve gotten a lot better at focusing my power, and I have the best chance at keeping you alive.” Walking over slowly, Nya gave Skylor a confident look before kneeling beside her. “Trust me to do this, please.”

Skylor seemed to be glaring at the younger woman coldly for a moment, but her face soon softened. She slowly nodded her head.

“Wonderful,” Zane clasped his hands together. “Now, Nya, I will need you to be quick about this, but please do exercise as much concentration as possible.”

“I’ll…do my best,” Nya nodded. Taking a moment to breathe, Nya stilled herself. This could go wrong. This could go horribly wrong. She tried her best to put away those thoughts and focused fully on shooting a beam of water into Skylor’s wound. As soon as it splashed against it, Skylor wailed out loudly, and Nya cringed back.

“You didn’t tell me you were going yet!” Skylor protested.

“Sorry,” Nya sighed. “Alright, on the count of three.”

“Don’t let her stress you out, Nya,” Jay piped up from behind her.

“ _Excuse_ me???” Skylor exclaimed furiously.

“Please stay calm-“ Zane started.

“This is a matter of life or death for me,” Skylor kept going. “I’m putting my fate in the hands of a girl who’s barely had elemental powers for a month and – AH GEEZ-“

“Nya, just do it,” Kai spoke up, his voice slightly shaking. “She’s gonna die like this, get the wound cleaned out!”

Skylor turned her head to glare at Kai, who could only slump his shoulders. 

_I’m trying to make sure you don’t **die** , _Kai sent across the mental bond to Skylor, whose face only slightly softened at the gesture. 

“This is why we need Lloyd,” Cole groaned from where he was standing. “Without a leader, this is the kind of arguments that happen.”

“Not to mention, he’s probably the only one who could ever convince Skylor to keep a cool head,” Seliel added only loudly enough for Cole to hear.

“You will die if I don’t do this,” Nya was practically yelling at Skylor now. “If you won’t give me permission, I’ll do it anyway.” For good measure, she began forming the beam in her hand, and Skylor’s eyes widened.

“Nya, don’t you dare-“

Nya pushed past her arguments and began cleaning out the wound, being as thorough as possible despite the redhead who was thrashing and squirming around uncomfortably. The sound of rushing water drowned out most of Skylor’s sounds, which was probably for the best.

After a while, Nya stopped, looked at her work, and nodded to Zane, who applied the cloth back over the wound.

“I do not have an antibiotic to use, so we’ll have to hope there weren’t any infections.”

“Can’t you scan to see if there are?” Seliel asked.

“No, my scanners were never designed for that, and-“ Zane’s expression fell. “Pixal was always more interested in medicine and healing practices, so she’d probably be able to tend to this situation more appropriately. Unfortunately, she was left back at the Monastery, watching Princess Harumi’s room…”

“She’ll be alright, just wait,” Cole said with as much optimism as he could muster. “Right now, we need to worry about finding a way out of here.”

“The dragon took Wu to another cell, didn’t it?” Seliel pointed out. “Even if we get out, we have to find where he is. Zane, have any ideas?”

“I already scanned the walls,” Zane shook his head. “Until someone on the other end opens the gate, there is no way to pass through without elemental powers.”

“Nya just used hers,” Kai pointed out. “You’re saying Cole can’t just break the gate down with his fists? Or by forming a huge boulder and chucking it into the wall?”

“Tried that,” Cole sighed. “Zane’s right; the walls must be lined with that vengestone stuff. Our powers will still work since we’re not chained, but anytime I used my powers on the wall, it would bounce off.”

“So our powers will still work just as long as we’re not using them on the wall,” Jay hummed at the end, peering around thoughtfully. “If we can’t go forward, can we go down?” Tapping his foot against the ground, Jay motioned back to Cole. “You can break through the earth and tunnel us out, right?”

“I…I’ve never tried that,” Cole admitted.

“So try it now.”

“And risk getting us all buried alive? No way,” Cole scoffed. “Jay, this ground is all made of heavy stones and some really tough dirt. It’s pretty hard to tunnel through that, even if we didn’t get buried.”

“What else works?” Seliel asked, placing her hands on her hips. “Come on, people, think!” Then, after looking upwards, she clicked her tongue. “What about digging up?”

Now, even Nya seemed skeptical. “Up? Wouldn’t that risk the entire ceiling falling down on us?”

“It’s just an idea,” Seliel defended herself. “But I think we could make it work. If we can’t go through the walls and we can’t go down through the ground, we’ve gotta at least try going up.”

“Well, maybe I could drill a centralized hole right up through the center,” Cole shrugged. “Try to make it sturdy enough to not make everything crash down on us. We could hoist each other up on our shoulders, and the person that gets up inside the hole can climb up.”

“It’s a risky idea, but it could definitely work,” Zane agreed. “The only problem is that you will not be able to drill through all of the earth up to the surface, especially since we do not know how far down this arena is.”

“So…Cole will have to go first then,” Kai realized. “Cole, you’ll have to keep digging while climbing at the same time.”

Cole appeared unsure, and Seliel cleared her throat. “You don’t have to try it if you aren’t confident in this idea.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Cole sighed. “It’s just gonna take a lot out of me.”

“Well, try to be quick about it, because I’d rather be gone by the time someone comes in to throw us in an arena with those giant dogs,” Jay pointed out.

“Wait, we still need to get Skylor through the hole too though, right?” Nya asked.

“Yes, we need to somehow push her through along with us, while also keeping pressure on the wound to avoid more bleeding,” Zane added.

“Just great,” Cole facepalmed.

* * *

After finally setting foot on solid ground, Harumi glanced around cautiously, her lips curling into a hesitant smile. Metalonia was a surprisingly serene and tranquil city, albeit bearing designs that would be considered rather old-fashioned by today’s standards. The buildings were plain and mainly crafted with stone bases and wood planks for walls, sometimes colored dark maroon or orange. Seeing as the Metalonian people preferred a lifestyle void of any transportation that didn’t eat and breathe, the long road which the house nestled on each side of was a strip of reddish brown dirt.

“This place gives me an unsettling feeling,” Harumi commented quietly to Lloyd, who had now walked over from checking on where Garmadon was constrained onboard the _Misfortune’s Keep._ “Where are all of the people?”

“I don’t know,” Lloyd admitted. “I’ve been here a handful of times, usually to put down unrest and…” Lloyd shifted awkwardly, “…y-y’know…”

“Yeah,” Harumi nodded sadly. “We’re putting all that behind us now, remember? You’re a changed man; you can’t go on with your life feeling guilty wherever you go.”

Lloyd barely responded, insinuating to Harumi that he really didn’t want to talk about it. Waving for her to follow, he began walking into the city. “What I’m saying is that, in each of the times I’ve been here, there’s always been only about a dozen people in town.”

“So they’re hiding?” Harumi guessed.

“They probably hauled out long ago, looking for a new place to live without such a heavy imperial presence. Metalonia is rich in its minerals and resources, and one of my father’s most important mines is installed here.”

“They can’t _all_ have moved out, could they?”

“As far as I know, after the mine was set up, the remaining group of people who didn’t run off right after were either forced to work in the mine or go to the…uh…” Lloyd shut his mouth forcefully before finishing, “…the arena.”

Harumi’s face fell. “All of this time, I had no idea his reach went so far. All these years, I was Ninjago’s _princess_ whether your father liked the fact or not, and I could hardly get out of Ninjago City without attracting attention. I should have been encouraging these poor people.”

“You would have gotten yourself killed,” Lloyd responded bluntly, looking ahead. 

“Yeah, I know, but I should have at least made some kind of attempt to reach them, right?” Harumi noticed she’d fallen a few steps behind Lloyd as she spoke, and after shaking her head, she jogged to catch back up. “Maybe I could have hired someone to patch me into the radio network, and I could relay a message of hope to the people.”

“Like you said: that’s behind us. If we can get you back on that throne, you’ll have all the reach in the world to give the people hope.” Lloyd glanced over quickly to flash a smile, and then grabbed Harumi’s wrist. “We need to move quickly to find the team before any of my father’s forces sweep through the arena.”

“We have him imprisoned on our giant pirate ship,” Harumi started. “Don’t you think his soldiers will be on our tail soon enough?”

“He came alone for a reason,” Lloyd shook his head. “He wasn’t expecting to be beat. Pixal is keeping the ship running so we can make a quick retreat if we need to.”

“They’ll still realize he’s not coming back eventually, though.” Looking down at her pale hand, Harumi sighed. “Sure would make me feel a bit more reassured if I was still glowing gold.”

* * *

“Almost…got _it….almost…_ there!” Cole laughed in relief as sunlight quickly covered his field of view, casting out the gloomy dark of the lower pit. Pulling himself out and onto the floor, Cole poked his head down to motion for the others to keep climbing. “I got it, guys! The open sun!”

Nya came up first, nodding gratefully as Cole gave her a strong arm to hoist herself up with. She began to cough, covering her mouth with one hand as the other patted down the front of her gi. “Nice work, Cole. Sensei isn’t gonna be happy that we got our outfits all dirty, though.”

“I think he’ll be more than glad to see we’re all not dead,” Cole snorted, now helping Seliel out and offering a hand to Jay. “Speaking of Sensei, we still need to find him before we go back for Lloyd and Harumi.”

“Then we should spread out,” Nya insisted. “We all go in groups of two: Cole and Jay, me and Seliel, Kai and Zane.”

“Who made _you_ the leader?” Kai asked. “Besides, someone’s gotta stay here with Skylor.” He motioned to the woman he was currently carrying bridal style over to the wall. Setting her down carefully, he could see her snark coming from a mile away.

“Don’t think this means anything, hothead,” she croaked, her voice still weak. “Just remember that on any other day, I’d kick your butt for carrying me like that. In fact, I probably _will_ kick your butt when I’m feeling better again.”

Rolling her eyes, Nya gave in. “Fine. You two lovebirds can stay here and have the dirty floor to yourselves.” She managed to avoid the angry glare from Skylor, but couldn’t help but give Kai a knowing smirk before turning on her heel.

“I can go alone,” Zane offered. 

“Great,” Cole nodded. “Then it’s settled. You all know who your partners are. Split up and check all of the cells. Meet back here when you’re done.”

“And if you come across any of Garmadon’s goons, don’t be shy,” Jay snickered.

As the five ninja left, Kai turned to Skylor sheepishly. “I’m sorry about Nya, she-“

“She means well,” Skylor cut him off, sighing deeply. It was clear that she wanted to keep her mind off of the pain. “I got too cranky with her earlier when she was trying to help. Guess I’ve just never had someone care for me like that before. Usually, that’s the kind of guise enemies will use when trying to get close to me.”

“Well, I hope you at least don’t see us as enemies anymore.”

“I would have hoped I’d made that clear by now across our past several conversations,” Skylor smiled slightly. “If I didn’t trust you as a friend and an ally, I wouldn’t still put up with your bullcrap.”

Kai groaned. “I’m…flattered?”

“Don’t let it go to your head.”

* * *

A feeling on uneasiness washed over Lloyd as he led Harumi past dozens of cells, finding them each empty. Refusing to let it get him down, he assured Harumi, “They’re around here somewhere, I know it. This place is huge, and we could easily miss them if we don’t look carefully-“ He stopped short as they reached a cell with a pair of crumpled bodies on the floor.

Harumi sucked in air, effectively swallowing the loud gasp that threatened to come out. 

“They might be dead,” Lloyd said solemnly, approaching the cell. Looking down at his hand, he decided on busting the door open and summoned a green sphere into his palm. “Here goes nothing…yah!” What happened right after was too quick for Lloyd to notice. The green energy bounced right off of the cell door and deflected right into Lloyd’s chest, knocking him off his feet.

“Lloyd!” Harumi called before kneeling beside him. “You alright? Why did it hurt you instead?”

“I don’t know,” Lloyd admitted as he held a hand to his chest. “Must be that my dad lined the cells with vengestone. Seems like an overly expensive investment for all of these empty cells that are never used. Let me just…” Lloyd trailed off as he began standing to his feet, grateful for Harumi’s arms that helped him up. 

“You sure you’re okay?”

Lloyd nodded. “Yeah. It was just supposed to be enough energy to bust down a door, not to hurt someone. Still stings a bit, though.”

It was now that Lloyd and Harumi both noticed the two prisoners had woken up from the loud noise, and were up on their feet with their faces practically pressed against the bars.

“Thank the First Spinjitzu Master!” one of them – a human male – exclaimed. “I thought we would never be rescued!”

The other prisoner, a woman with raven black hair tied behind her head in a ponytail, nodded with him. “Please, good souls! Free us before that terrible emperor throws us in with the hounds!”

 _The Hounds of Abrishe,_ Lloyd thought to himself. _Those could be a problem._

“We just need to find a way to bust open the door,” Harumi assured them, and then looked back to Lloyd. “If we could find something heavy to throw at it, or maybe-“ She was cut off as that same warmth from before filled her, and gold began spreading from her fingertips and dancing its way over her arms. It seemed to stop there at her elbows, to her surprise, stopping before it could spread across any more of her body.

“It seems all you need are your hands,” Lloyd wondered aloud. “Grab onto the bars and see if you can pull them apart.”

“I thought it was vengestone,” Harumi pointed out, but still walked over anyway and glanced at her hands before pressing against the cell. Fortunately, the vengestone didn’t refuse the Golden Power, and instead seemed to melt effortlessly in her hands. With a strong pull on both bars in opposite directions, Harumi pulled the center two bars far apart, ripping them from the base and leaving a gaping hole for the prisoners to escape through. She discarded the two bars onto the floor beside her feet.

As the man and woman exited past Harumi and thanked her, all while marveling at this girl’s sudden strength, Lloyd couldn’t help but let his jaw drop.

Harumi caught his glance and grinned. The gold disappeared from her arms, and she quipped, “Jealous?”

“That’s…one word for it,” Lloyd chuckled, trying not to be too distracted by how attractive Harumi was when she was so confident, with her hands on her hips and her eyes glistening. “Don’t be too prideful, though – that’s probably why the gold went away.”

“Or it was because I finished my good deed,” Harumi shrugged. “My pure intention was carried out.”

“How can we ever repay you?” the man asked, and Lloyd waved him off.

“No time for that, just go,” he said. “You both need to run away and find shelter somewhere else before authorities come back.”

“At least tell us your names,” the woman requested, linking arms with the man. “At least then my husband and I can spread word that there are kind hearts still out there.”

Lloyd thought for a long moment before nodding his head and offering a hand. The man shook it. “I’m the Green Ninja. That’s all the people need to know for now.”

The woman’s eyes flashed with intrigue as she nodded back. Looking over to Harumi, she asked, “And you?”

Lloyd gave Harumi a reassuring smile, as if to say, _“Go on. This is the opportunity you wanted, right?”_

Harumi cleared her throat. “My name is Princess Harumi of Ninjago, rightful heir to the throne.” Not surprised by the couple’s shocked reactions, she added, “And I’m going to be taking it back,” before grabbing Lloyd’s hand and hurrying off. She could hear the exclamations behind her, and couldn’t help but smile. For probably the first time ever, she felt confident that she really _would_ get that throne back.

* * *

“Zane’s still not back?” Cole asked as he and Jay came back to the spot after their long search. Nya and Seliel had already made their way back before them, pacing back and forth while Kai remained seated on the floor beside Skylor. 

“No,” Seliel shook her head. “The poor guy was left to search on his own, remember? He’s probably just being thorough; I wouldn’t expect any less from him.”

“Well, thankfully, I found my crew,” Jay motioned behind him at the small group of pirates. “Or what’s left of them, anyway…”

“We all knew what the risks were, Cap’n,” Flintlocke assured him, but his voice slightly wavered.

“I can’t believe we still haven’t found Wu, though,” Kai sighed. “I’d hate to have to leave without him, but what if he’s not even still here?”

“Sensei would want us to put the mission first,” Nya spoke sadly. “If we can’t find him soon, we’ll have to leave. We all promised to protect Harumi with our lives.”

“Against Garmadon, Lloyd will have his work cut out for him,” Skylor agreed. 

“Thankfully, I already dealt with that part,” a familiar voice called out, and the rest of the team spun around to meet him. 

“Lloyd!” Cole and Nya exclaimed at the same time, while Seliel pumped her fists in the air and Kai stood to his feet.

“Speak of the devil,” Skylor laughed weakly from her spot. “And I see you’ve got the princess with ya. Guess I underestimated you, Blondie.”

“Thankfully, we’re both alive and well,” Harumi nodded. “We were actually just looking for you guys. If Zane hadn’t bumped into us, we would have been checking all of the lower pits for you guys.”

The Nindroid smiled. “It’s truly great to have the team back together again. Well, all except for-“

“Pixal is back on the ship,” Harumi piped up, watching Zane’s expression brighten. “Don’t worry, she’s doing alright. A bit banged up, but nothing that can’t be fixed. At least, that’s what she says.”

“So we really got everyone back except for Sensei Wu,” Cole mumbled. “You guys never found him either?”

Lloyd’s eyebrows rose. “I assumed he was with you guys.”

“No, your dad’s dragon took him somewhere else after throwing us into the pit,” Jay explained. “We were hoping he’d just been taken to a different cell somewhere in here, but that no longer seems likely.”

“I can have the men do a perimeter sweep of the arena,” Flintlocke offered. “If he’s here, we’ll find him eventually.”

“No,” Lloyd held up a hand.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Kai asked. 

“Why waste time searching an arena the size of a football stadium when I can just go ask the kidnapper where he put my uncle in the first place?” Lloyd hinted at his father near the end, earning widened eyes from the team.

“You mean he’s _here_?” Skylor asked.

“Yeah, but not quite as you’re expecting,” Lloyd grinned. “We’ve got him locked up onboard the _Misfortune’s Keep_. Hope you don’t mind, Jay.”

Jay sputtered, “Th-that’s fine by me! You have the emperor himself locked up on my ship? I’m actually more than surprised.”

“You _beat_ him?” Skylor asked, appearing very unsure. “How exactly?”

“I had a bit of help,” Lloyd said vaguely, winking at Harumi as he said so. “I’ll explain on the way. We didn’t park all that far away.”

* * *

“I remember when this scene played out a bit differently,” Skylor muttered to Lloyd from where she sat on one of the _Keep_ ’s interior tables. The rest of the team stood around the closed door. Through the small window hole they could sneak a glance at the tall, grimacing emperor who stared back at them with burning hatred.

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asked, eager to lighten the tension in the room a bit.

Skylor snorted. “It wasn’t long ago you were in that same cell all alone, and I came by just to get under your skin.”

Lloyd rolled his eyes, but still found the memory amusing given their more recent, respectful friendship. “You don’t have to sound so proud of it.”

“What are we gonna do with him?” Seliel asked. “I mean, killing this guy will be the start of a whole new era for Ninjago, if you think about it.”

“Or the return to the previous one,” Harumi whispered hopefully.

“He’s in there with all four of his creepy clawed hands chained tightly against the wall,” Seliel said. “If there’s any time to hit him when he’s most vulnerable, it’s now. I know it’d take a huge weight off of my dad’s shoulders if I kill him, uh…” Seliel trailed off awkwardly as she noticed how uneasy Lloyd appeared. “I-I mean n-nothing against you by that, Lloyd. You know that, right? He’s destroyed lives and ruined this world for everyone.”

Lloyd nodded slowly. “…I know.”

“Lloyd…maybe you should leave the room,” Kai suggested, a sad smile forming. “You know better than the rest of us that this is necessary, but you don’t have to be around when it happens.”

The room erupted in argument as different opinions were thrown around, and Lloyd turned on his heel to leave. Kai was right. He didn’t want to be there when it happened, and he didn’t want to be there while his team disputed who should finish the job.

Lloyd went to slam the door behind him as he left, but a strong arm reached out to hold the door. Cole’s kind but worried eyes locked with Lloyd’s in concern. “Lloyd, don’t storm out of here in a mood like that. You’ll only feel worse about it if that’s how you feel when it happens.”

“That’s the least of my worries, Cole,” Lloyd groaned, taking a seat on an old couch. 

“Well, I- oh, sorry Princess,” Cole cleared his throat and moved aside as Harumi’s lean figure slipped through the door behind the Earth Ninja. Rather than taking a seat beside or across from Lloyd as he would have expected, she stood in the center of the room facing him with her hands folded at her waist. He hardly had enough time to read her expression before his attention was drawn to a loud clanging noise from the other room.

“Skylor! Are you – geez!” Kai’s voice rang out, followed by a few sounds of struggle that were no doubt a result of the redhead’s stubbornness. “Seriously, Skylor, you’re _hurt._ Stop trying to get off of the table…”

“Zane bandaged me up fine enough, didn’t he?” Skylor argued. “I’m going into the other room whether you like it or not.”

“You can’t walk,” Kai’s voice rang out again.

“Then you can carry me again, hothead,” Skylor responded in a snarky tone, but Lloyd could already imagine the smile spreading across her lips. 

“Uh…fine, I guess,” Kai mumbled. A few moments later, Kai entered the room carrying Skylor bridal style again, and in any other circumstance, Lloyd was sure the whole team would be teasing the two to no end. 

“Lay me down on the couch beside Lloyd,” Skylor ordered, and Kai did as he was told without a sound. Lloyd began moving away to make room for Skylor, but she held out a hand to grip his gi. “No need to run away, Blondie, I won’t hog the whole couch.” She finished with an eyeroll. Then, letting go of Lloyd’s gi, she relaxed into the cushions and let out a sigh of relief. 

There was a long silence. Harumi came over after a while to sit on the arm of the couch, turning her body to face Lloyd more easily. Cole and Kai had stepped back to the other side of the room, seemingly too tense to take a seat, and Lloyd didn’t blame them. Lloyd could hear Jay and Nya’s voices whispering to each other faintly from the other room, and he occasionally picked up on Seliel’s voice joining in.

Lloyd found himself breathing heavily. He shut his eyes and tried to take in what was at stake here, what the whole world seemed to be asking him if he was okay with: killing his father. Lloyd felt Harumi’s hand rest on his right knee, leaving a bit of warmth and reassurance there. Still, he couldn’t shake the thought. Everyone else’s silence didn’t exactly help.

Finally, after swallowing what he was afraid would be a sob, Lloyd asked aloud, “Why are you guys still here?” He didn’t mean to sound rude, but it needed to be asked. At least, that’s what he couldn’t stop thinking. “We’re only wasting time, aren’t we?”

“Because I needed a more comfortable place to sit, obviously,” Skylor commented sarcastically before her voice softened a bit. “No, seriously Lloyd, I had Kai carry me over because even I hate to see you so hopeless.” The assassin gave a small chuckle. “I used to annoy you to no end – and maybe I still do – by just _being_ near you. But after what we’ve _all_ gone through together – as a _team_ …” Skylor grinned. “…well, I had hoped just giving you some company would be a comfort.”

Lloyd hated how shocked he was to hear that. He smiled back and let out a breath. “That means a lot to me, Sky. Thanks.”

“Sky?” the woman asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. “Where’d that come from?”

Lloyd shrugged. “I don’t know, it just felt natural to give you a nickname now. You _did_ say we’re a team now.”

“Fine, I’ll allow it this time,” Skylor teased. “You’d better not abuse it.”

Lloyd nodded, and the silence seemed to fill the room instantly. Everyone was quiet for a while, and yet it was far less awkward now. Skylor was right about having some company making him feel a bit better. Harumi was there for him, as she always seemed to be, and Lloyd now even felt comfortable sitting with his former enemy on the couch as if they’d been friends since kindergarten. It was weird, yet still comforting.

“I guess I just can’t believe we’ve actually gotten to this point,” Lloyd admitted. “Where someone actually has to kill him.”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Skylor pointed out. “You left that room for a reason. Don’t try telling me you came in here just to talk about the same thing we were all disputing in the other room.”

“You were trying to get away from it,” Harumi agreed.

“Should I?”

“Definitely,” Kai nodded.

“We’re talking about something no son should ever have to think about, let alone be responsible for,” Skylor sighed. “The way I see it, you’ve been through enough crap. The last thing you need is to feel pressured to make a decision regarding your father’s life.”

“What you need is a break,” Harumi added.

“The work isn’t done,” Lloyd pointed out.

“But it doesn’t have to be you who finishes it,” Cole folded his arms. “You’ve impressed us all, Lloyd. You’re a good leader and an even better friend. You’ve kept Harumi safe. Wasn’t that the most important part of the mission?”

As Lloyd felt Harumi’s hand continue to lightly rub his leg, he had to admit that Cole was right. He’d give his life for this girl, and not just because she was the princess. It was because of his best efforts that she was sitting beside him. He could leave it at that, couldn’t he? She was free. All he had to do was let go of this final responsibility and he’d be free, too.

Lloyd’s thoughts were interrupted as Jay entered the room, followed by Flintlocke. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting,” Flintlocke cleared his throat, “but Captain Walker and I have decided on what the most respectful method would be.”

Skylor began to open her mouth to protest, already glancing at Lloyd to defend him, but the Green Ninja held up a hand. 

“Just…what is it?” he asked hesitantly.

Pulling a small syringe from his pocket, Flintlocke looked down at the device before holding it up for the others to see. A green liquid could be seen inside the container. “Tiger Widow venom. The boys and I took home a lot of it a few years back after killing one of those darned arachnids. It’s completely lethal; all we have to do is inject it into his bloodstream, and he’ll be dead in seconds.”

The room felt uneasy.

“We figured you’d want it to be quick and painless,” Jay looked over at Lloyd. “No guns, no knives, no elemental powers. It’s your decision.”

“I…I don’t know how to just say ‘yes’…” Lloyd ran his hands down his face.

“Then don’t,” Harumi assured him, leaning closer. “You can have as much time as you want to think about it.”

“Not to sound insensitive, but it’d be better to do this soon,” Flintlocke corrected. “As long as he’s alive, we’re all still at risk.”

“Can he break free?” Harumi’s eyes widened.

“He shouldn’t be able to, but he’s taken us by surprise on more than one occasion,” Jay said. “Keeping him breathing onboard my ship is no longer ideal.”

“Let’s not forget that Garmadon’s forces may be out looking for him now,” Skylor muttered. “The longer we have him in our custody, the longer we have targets painted on our backs.”

“If we kill him, we’ll all be targeted anyway,” Cole said.

“Not once we take back the capital and Empress Harumi becomes the undisputed authority of the land,” Skylor grinned, looking over at the girl who still seemed all too stressed about the idea. “Garmadon took the throne by force. The moment Harumi is back in command, the law dictates that the only legal police force is the empress’ own legions. Garmadon’s goons will be identified as criminals.”

“So the clock’s against us until we get Harumi to that palace,” Lloyd thought out loud. “I…I think Flintlocke’s idea is the best we’ve got. There’s no sense in delaying it.”

“Lloyd,” Harumi warned, “don’t make that decision unless you’re absolutely sure.”

“I…I am.”

“Will you be at peace with it?”

Lloyd looked at Harumi sadly and then shut his eyes. He decided to lie.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter.  
> Here we go.


	40. Welcome Aboard...Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter.  
> 12,259 words.  
> 28 pages.
> 
> Let's gooooo.

**“Why are you upset, son?”** Garmadon’s frightening yet curious voice caused Lloyd Garmadon to jump slightly. **“You’ve looked disturbed all morning.”**

Fifteen-year-old Lloyd looked up from his plate of grotesque food and gave his father the highest amount of calmness he could muster. “I don’t know what you mean, Father. If you’re talking about the firework show earlier, I was just taken by surprise with all of the loud noises. I thought at first that it might be an attack on the-“

 **“I’m not talking about that,”** Garmadon snapped. **“You don’t like the fortress. I could see the look of disgust as soon as I first led you inside.”**

“It’s an impressive piece of architecture, Father,” Lloyd shook his head, sitting up a bit straighter. “I’m grateful to be able to live in it.”

 **“Don’t act smart with me,”** Garmadon’s voice began to raise a bit higher, but he wasn’t angry. **“You never talk like that anyway – so _dignified_ , like this country’s embarrassing politicians. I’ll be more than glad to have them removed in a matter of days.”**

Lloyd shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “I thought Representative Carol was nice.” As Garmadon glared at him, he quickly stammered to defend his statement. “Y-y’know, she’s still, uh… _corrupt_ or whatever. But she has the voice of a leader. Maybe we could have use for her on the battlefield, rallying troops or something.”

 **“The only voice my soldiers need to listen to is my own,”** Garmadon stated firmly. **“Carol will be cast aside like the rest. It’ll be a miracle if she manages to get a job at a fast food restaurant after I just exposed the corruption all of Ninjago’s politicians shared.”**

“I guess so,” Lloyd sighed. “I’ve been practicing using the new katana with Samukai, as you asked, Father.”

 **“Good. The sooner you have mastered that blade, the sooner I can send you out on our next conquest. Now that I hold the throne, the army’s reach will be much larger, but there is much work yet to be done.”** Garmadon began to smile as he spoke. **“Plenty of small outer villages that will surely rebel until shown just how much power I hold.”**

“It’ll be easier to take on Chen, I’ll bet,” Lloyd grinned. Master Chen had been the biggest rival to Garmadon and Lloyd for years. He, too, had schemed of taking the throne. Garmadon just happened to be much better at putting such a plan into action.

Garmadon gave a small not-antagonistic laugh, which was very uncharacteristic of him but Lloyd was certain he only saved for him. **“I heard that you ran into his daughter in Magoniat yesterday. Samukai was telling me that you gave her quite the scare.”**

Lloyd’s eyes widened a bit and he couldn’t help but feel a bit warmer inside at Garmadon’s mention. He had cared enough to commend him for his success in the siege. “Uh, yeah. I ran into her briefly. Guess she wasn’t expecting me to be the leader, let alone possess an elemental power.” Lloyd held up a green-glowing hand for emphasis before letting the energy dissipate and the hand fell back into his lap. 

**“She underestimated you,”** Garmadon hummed.

“She was taking her sweet time toying with me and my troops, if that’s what you mean. Probably figured I’d be an easy kill, so she didn’t get it over with too fast.”

 **“That girl savors the kill,”** Garmadon nodded. **“Unlike her idiotic father, who is always looking to get the job done quick so he can reap the spoils before anyone else. Skylor is a trained assassin. Don’t underestimate _her_ for her age, either. Like you, she’s adopted her potential early. That’s a good thing for the both of you, but makes her a deadly enemy.”**

Lloyd nodded quietly as his father spoke. “So, anyway, she ran off with those purple-painted cultists as soon as she realized I had more forces on the way. The elemental power was enough to completely drop her look of confidence, though. We took the village easily after that.” Lloyd waited for Garmadon’s reaction, but decided to add in, “I would have preferred to be here and help you take the palace, though. That must have been the biggest siege yet.”

 **“It was simple enough,”** Garmadon waved it off. **“Probably could have taken the entire capital on my own without troops after seeing the sad excuse for guards they stationed here. This city is full of far too many thin-skinned citizens who’d sooner pass a law for more café’s to be set up than for the military to be strengthened. Too many political idealists who lie through their teeth and have no real power outside of their own wealth.”** Garmadon noticed Lloyd’s falling expression and made a sound from the back of his throat. **“I take it you wanted a better answer?”**

“I just want to be a part of the more important stuff,” Lloyd shrugged. “I have all of this power, but rarely do I ever get to use it. There’s no use exerting elemental power on villagers who willingly surrender from the moment I enter the town.”

**“You want to challenge larger threats? Trust me, son, with Ninjago now under our control, we’ll have plenty of powerful foes knocking on our door.”**

“I figured as much, yeah,” Lloyd’s mouth changed to a straight line. He found himself fiddling the length of his fork between two fingers, his vision blurring out as he stared off into space. Too many dinners were like this now.

 **“If getting a piece of the action is what you want,”** Garmadon spoke up. Apparently, he hadn’t given up on the conversation, and Lloyd was mildly intrigued. **“…then you needn’t worry about that any longer. While I have agents like Killow, Samukai, and Ultra Violet to carry out important tasks, they will never become any more important to me than you are.”**

Lloyd blinked a few times and felt his face scrunch a bit in confusion. He stared at his father for a few moments, wondering if he really heard him correctly. “W-what was that?”

 **“As my son, you were born with incredible power,”** Garmadon went on, and Lloyd’s heart sank. So _that_ was what he meant. **“Having you on the frontlines more often will be beneficial for the both of us.”**

Lloyd swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded, looking down at his plate. “I agree.”

 **“If your brain has grown at the same rate as your body, you should do fine on your own,”** Garmadon huffed. 

Lloyd didn’t say another word for the rest of the meal. He was already missing the false sense of affection and pride he’d wrongly assumed from Garmadon’s comments, regardless of the fact that he never meant it that way. Would _never_ mean it that way.

His mother had ran off when he was too young to remember her, and the closest relationship he had with his father was one of a newly established emperor and his most trusted companion. Love wasn’t something Lloyd had felt as far as he could think back. If his mother had left him behind, she clearly couldn’t have loved him, could she? No sane woman would leave a toddler in the care and control of a murderous warlord. 

Lloyd almost _hoped_ she’d never loved him. It kept him from longing for her presence in his life again. If she didn’t want him, he didn’t want her. Simple as that.

Now, it was just him and Garmadon. It’d probably be that way for a long time, maybe for their entire lives. Did this twisted ruler love his son? No, that much was certain. Still, Lloyd determined to stay by his father’s side loyally for as long as he was required. If blood really was the only similarity they shared, Lloyd wanted to work to change that. As his father grew stronger, so would he. 

They’d manage to finally crush the last of their enemies once and for all sooner or later. Lloyd would be there by Emperor Garmadon’s side when the job was done. Maybe one day, Garmadon would tell him that he was proud of him. That’d be nice.

* * *

Present day Lloyd Garmadon stopped his hand from shaking as he looked down at the syringe for the twentieth time since Flintlocke handed it over. This was what would finally end this conflict. Such a tiny glass cylinder of venom would accomplish what Chen, Skylor, and so many others could not. It would finally kill Emperor Garmadon.

He was stalling for time, and by the look on Nya’s face as she watched his internal struggle, he knew that the others knew it. Still, letting this opportunity go only jeopardized the team and Harumi longer. Every second he spared gave Garmadon more time to consider a means of escape. 

Letting him go free now would no doubt begin a war. He seemed to be frightened and somehow effected by the Golden Power, but that kind of concern could push him to unleash his army all across Ninjago. Lloyd wouldn’t let that happen.

Lloyd allowed himself – despite knowing he would regret it – to glance through the door’s window again where his father was tied up. A surge of guilt ran through him as those accusing, angry eyes stared back at him. Everything about the emperor’s look screamed that he _knew_ , even without seeing the syringe. The idea of being killed by his own traitorous son seemed to anger Garmadon more than the threat of death itself.

Lloyd tore his eyes away and shut them, lowering his head. From where Jay stood across from him, the pirate sighed, folding his arms. “You know, it doesn’t have to be you who does it.”

“I feel like it needs to be,” Lloyd shook his head. “Can you imagine having that on your conscience? Willingly handing a friend the means of killing your father? Just… _watching_ it happen?”

“Does killing him yourself make it any easier, though?” Jay asked, unconvinced. “Lloyd, I’ve had blood on my hands more times than I’d like to admit. A pirate’s life isn’t one you can walk without having at least a few situations where it’s either you or the other guy who gets shot. You’ve heard about what I did to my village.”

Lloyd winced. “I thought you wouldn’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, I’m choosing to remember it _now,_ in case you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life.”

“What you did was an _accident,_ though,” Lloyd pointed out. “Jay, I’m sure I’ll regret it whether I’m the one to use the venom or not. This can’t be about what I feel comfortable with, not when that’s no longer an option.”

Jay stayed quiet for a moment before shaking his head in defeat. “You’re right. It has to be done, and we need someone who’s willing to do it. So I’m asking you one more time…are you?”

Lloyd nodded, keeping his bottom lip from quivering as he looked back through the window again. Lloyd’s hand tightened around the small syringe, and then he turned on his heel to walk into the other room. 

The rest of the team that sat inside all looked at him silently, some of them moving their mouths to speak but failing to say much of anything. Lloyd’s muscles tensed as he realized they were all waiting for his decision. Though he couldn’t blame them for, in a way, being relieved that this was about to happen, he noticed the conflicting emotions in each of their faces. 

Kai’s face had almost lifted joyously as Lloyd had entered the room, only to be overcome with regret and shame seconds after. Cole’s face remained normally solemn, only slightly changing as Lloyd entered. Nya had hidden her face, and Lloyd didn’t blame her for doing so. Seliel, despite knowing him the least, still seemed saddened at the idea, but Lloyd could tell she would be glad when the emperor was dead. They all would be. Their lives might go back to normal.

 _It’s a necessary evil,_ something in Lloyd’s head whispered, and he pushed it away.

Zane was nowhere to be seen, presumably fixing up Pixal in another room. 

“You ready?” Skylor finally spoke up with an unusual softness, her eyes filled with concern. Lloyd wondered how much this was hitting home for her. Chen had died in a similar fashion, hadn’t he? 

Lloyd took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I’m ready to do it. I…yeah…” Lloyd trailed off and turned back to the first room, slowly walking back inside. He heard the others begin quietly following behind him, and he held up a hand. “I’d better do this alone, guys. Please, just…y’know…”

“Of course,” Cole agreed, putting a hand on Jay’s shoulder to lead him away. “We’ll give you some space, Lloyd.”

Kai, Nya, and Seliel did the same, leaving him without a word. Skylor managed a small reassuring smile from where she still sat on the couch.

Of course, having Harumi leave wouldn’t be as easy. Lloyd turned to her reluctantly, hating how much he didn’t even want to _see_ her right now. He could never formulate a sentence like, “I’m killing my father so you can be free and happy,” because of course that would make her feel that much more guilty and plead for him to rethink his options. Lloyd didn’t want to think about her when he did it. He didn’t want to see his dad’s look of disappointment and hate be directed towards him in his final moments with the impression of, “you did this for her.”

“Harumi,” Lloyd breathed hesitantly. “I need you to go back into the room.”

Without a word, she nodded sadly and turned away, glancing back briefly with teary eyes before closing the door behind her. Lloyd hated how much that hurt them both.

Now, Lloyd was in the middle. Behind the one door, his friends sat stressfully, waiting for him. The door before him sealed him off from the father who now hated him.

Lloyd tried his best to ignore his own hesitations and walked forward, putting in the lock combination and then swinging the door open. Garmadon’s very presence seemed to corrupt the air, feeling as if Lloyd could choke on it. The vengestone had been enough to block his powers but not enough to restrain his rage.

Lloyd pocketed the syringe quickly, hoping Garmadon hadn’t seen it. _Why am I hiding it?_ Lloyd mentally scolded himself. _He’s going to see it in a moment anyway. Why am I afraid?_

Unfortunately, Garmadon _had_ seen the syringe, just as Lloyd slipped it into his pocket. His eyes stayed locked on Lloyd’s pocket before shifting up to send a mix of expressions. At first, his pupils shrank in surprise and possibly recognition, and then that same burning hatred returned. Still, a bit of fear seemed to linger.

Seeing such an emotion in his father made Lloyd feel hesitant and even more guilty. 

“Before I do what must be done,” Lloyd finally spoke, mustering courage, “I’ll give you one more chance to answer me, Father. Where is Uncle Wu?”

Garmadon stayed quiet for a bit, his expression now almost unreadable. Lloyd wasn’t sure whether it meant he was considering answering or plotting an escape.

**“I won’t tell you. You’ve already chosen him over me, why would I want to tell you where he is?”**

Lloyd shook his head disappointedly. “Dad, please.”

 **“I won’t tell you,”** Garmadon growled again.

“Alright,” Lloyd sighed. He’d have to find Wu the hard way, but it was better than nothing. “Can I at least ask one more favor of you?”

Garmadon’s glare told Lloyd that the idea enraged him further, but he lips never moved to give an answer.

Lloyd continued. “I don’t want it to end like this.” Tears threatened to fall faster than Lloyd expected, and he blinked them away furiously, his eyes meeting the floor. “I-I may be against you, but the last thing I want is for this to end with us both hating each other.”

 _Too late for that,_ Lloyd thought bitterly.

 **“I hate you,”** Garmadon spoke firmly, baring his teeth. **“I don’t care if you’re _comfortable_ with that or not.”**

Lloyd’s hand slowly pulled the syringe back out of his pocket, and he looked down at it solemnly, rolling it back and forth between his fingers. He couldn’t sugarcoat it, not anymore. 

Lloyd thought of what he should say before it happened, what his final words to his father would be. Then again, it’d be better not to say anything at all. Lloyd decided that it would be for the best.

Kneeling down at his father’s seated level, Lloyd scooted closer before raising the syringe’s tip just above Garmadon’s arm. The dark emperor was breathing slowly, his eyes locked on something far away from his traitorous son as he waited for the deed to be done. Lloyd wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved. Lloyd took a deep breath and positioned the syringe where he intended to inject the venom, just below the curve of the shoulder. 

His thumb shook on the flat end piece, hesitating from pushing it in and releasing the venom. A single tear had now fallen down Lloyd’s cheek, but he hardly noticed or made an effort to wipe it away. 

_He’s my father._

**_He never loved you._ **

_He’s the emperor._

**_He stole the throne._ **

_He gave you a future._

**_A future of killing and robbery._ **

_He was proud of you once._

**_Never again._ **

**_He’s ruined lives- He’s killed the innocent- He’s used you for conquest- He wants to kill Harumi-_ **

Lloyd’s spirit was filled with renewed anger as he held on to those thoughts, his face hardening as he brought the syringe to Garmadon’s coal black skin. His thumb hovered above the flat end.

**_Kai, Jay, Nya, Cole, Zane, Seliel, Pixal, Skylor, Wu – all of them. This is for them._ **

Lloyd shut his eyes tightly and pushed his thumb into the plastic piece, pushing the venom forward and out of the syringe. He expected to hear Garmadon wince in pain once or twice before quickly passing away, but there came no sound like it. Instead, a warm glow filled the room and Lloyd opened his eyes, shocked as he witnessed the green fluid floating in the air, as if suspended in water.

Harumi had burst into the room, her body engulfed in gold energy again and her arm extended to reach out towards Lloyd and Garmadon. Before Lloyd could react, golden power emanated from Harumi’s palm and thrust forward, sending Lloyd to his knees and blinding his vision.

Lloyd’s vision wasn’t coming back. Suddenly frightened, Lloyd flailed his arms around helplessly, searching for something to grab onto, all while the only thing he could see was white.

After a few moments of rapid blinking and allowing his eyes to adjust, Lloyd saw a different white as Harumi brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and hurried to his aid. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry Lloyd, you’re gonna hate for this, but-“

“Harumi, what did-“ Lloyd cut off as he turned to noticed his father was gone, leaving behind torn chains in his absence. “Harumi, what did you do?”

“Lloyd,” she started quietly, her hands trying to grab his arm as he picked himself up without her help. “Lloyd, I had to stop you from killing him.”

“WHY?” Lloyd exclaimed, his eyes widening. 

“The Golden Power reacted just before you were about to do it,” Harumi insisted, meeting his eyes. “It’s supposed to reveal itself for our best intentions, right? Isn’t it tied to destiny?”

Lloyd shook his head in disbelief. “You’re trying to tell me that _destiny_ doesn’t want me to kill him? I don’t have a choice! Now, he’s free and will be no doubt coming with an army to ensure we’re all dead.”

“I really didn’t have any control over it, Lloyd,” Harumi sighed. “It just sort of happened; the gold covered my body and I was thrust forward, busting the door down, and as soon as I saw your hand on the syringe, I just sort of… _knew_ what to do next. I knew what destiny wanted me to stop from happening.”

“Harumi?” Cole’s voice called as he hurried into the room, with the others right behind him. 

“What happened in here?” Nya raised an eyebrow. “And why is Garmadon not-“

“He damaged the entire hull,” Jay groaned. “There’s no way we’ll get her airborne like this.”

“Spread out,” Lloyd’s voice grew lower and tension rose in the room. “If destiny won’t let me kill him, I at least want to make sure he doesn’t get far.”

“I don’t mind a round three,” Kai grinned. “Let’s go, Cole, we’ll take off towards the town.”

“That won’t be necessary, actually,” Zane’s voice grew tense as he gained everyone’s attention. “Garmadon has already taken off on his dragon. He’s going in the direction of Ninjago City.”

“Right towards his army,” Seliel shook her head angrily, and then slammed her fist against the bars of the cell. “We just _had_ him where we needed him-“

Lloyd had already pushed his way through the hole Garmadon left and stepped onto the open grass. He noticed Kai come up alongside him out of the corner of his eye.

“I’m guessing you have a plan?”

Lloyd bit his tongue. “I have an idea, but I’m already almost certain that it won’t work.” Lloyd held out his hands and tried focusing his energy, but a few green sparks were all that formed in front of him. “That’s it. I can’t summon my dragon.”

“You barely tried,” Kai pointed out.

“Why should I waste time trying if I know it won’t work?” Lloyd asked, his tone becoming sharper. “I can only keep the dragon solid if I’m in control of my emotions. I’ve never been more distressed in my entire life, Kai.”

The Red Ninja nodded silently and peered off into the distance. Garmadon was far ahead of them now. Kai glanced back at Lloyd and then sighed. “You know…I happen to remember you using that dragon to save me, Harumi, and Skylor from that highway a few days ago. That didn’t seem like a calm situation to me. Your girl could have died,” Kai added, only slightly grinning at Lloyd’s reaction to ‘your girl’. “You can’t tell me that you managed to keep that dragon solid in a moment like that, but when you’re perfectly alive and capable and so is s _he…_ ” Kai studied Lloyd’s expression carefully, “…now you can’t do it?”

Lloyd met Kai’s eyes for a moment and then looked down as he thought about it. Quickly, a smile crossed his lips and Lloyd nodded, turning to face his friend with a hand extended. Kai looked at it curiously before clasping his hand with Lloyd’s, almost as if they were initiating an arm wrestle. “I take it you _do_ have a plan now?” Kai chuckled.

“I’m gonna create a dragon,” Lloyd responded as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “And so are you.”

Kai looked confused for a moment before his face lifted with more excitement than Lloyd had ever seen on him. “ _Now_ we’re talking!”

* * *

Wu was at the lowest he’d ever been. He’d always know Garmadon would come after him one day, either out of hatred or simply because he’d run out of people to conquer, but he couldn’t have chosen a worse time. The people of Ninjago were all now aware not only of his crimes against the throne, but that there was a handful of young elementals out there. They were exposed and alone, and even their own teacher couldn’t be there to protect them.

Ninjago City was filled with noise and excitement, and yet fear at the same time. In a matter of minutes, Wu would be taken to the large platform in front of Garmadon’s fortress and would be executed for his crimes. By Garmadon’s own words, Wu’s death would leave a significant mark in history. The demise of a skilled, wise sensei would strip the ninja of their confidence and hope, and when the ninja would fall after him, it would put an end to all rebellion altogether. After all, if a bunch of elemental masters couldn’t challenge the throne, how would anyone else?

And so Wu waited for the time when his “momentous death” would commence, and he’d be dragged out in front of thousands of people. He sat in a cold, dark dungeon, trying his best to meditate and make peace with his situation. A rather large, imposing man with a small head that didn’t suit his body stood on the other side of the cell bars, watching him intently. This man – _Killow_ , Wu had overheard from another biker – had been serving Garmadon almost since the beginning. It seemed that he was almost just as glad as Garmadon to finally kill Wu and get this over with.

Killow’s dim grey eyes watched Wu’s still frame, his beefy, tattooed arms folding across his broad chest. He slightly lifted his chin to say, “I always wondered why the Emperor didn’t have us come after you sooner. Imagine, if we had gotten you out of the way years ago, we wouldn’t have teenage ninja running amok, now would we?”

Wu decided to humor the man, to his own surprise. “I suppose I still would have left behind a thorn in my brother’s side one way or another. And besides, the elements are not mine to bestow. My ninja are gifted, but their gifts didn’t come from me.”

Killow rolled his eyes. “More of that ‘wise old master’ stuff. The Emperor warned me that guarding you might make me want to cut my head off.”

Wu slightly winced as he assumed that was a jab at the execution that was being prepared just upstairs. “My way of teaching is not for everyone, I have accepted that long ago. If you wish for me to be quiet, I will return to my meditation.”

Killow raised a brow. “Eh, what are you meaning by that? The Emperor never warned me that you were abnormally _nice_ , too.”

“Maybe I would prefer not to agitate the guard who is assigned to bring me to my execution.”

Killow snorted. “See? Now _you’re_ learning. Don’t mess with me, I’ll only _moderately_ mess with you, and-“

Killow was cut off by the loud bell echoing from outside the palace, and the biker let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, guess you won’t have to worry about that last part after all, lucky you.” Opening the cell door, Killow didn’t have to ask even once as Wu calmly got to his feet and walked out. 

“Hmm, yes,” Wu commented dryly as his wrists were bound together and Killow pushed him towards the door. “ _Lucky me._ ”

As the doors opened and Wu was let out into the open air, the sun’s bright rays blinded him for a moment. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed the massive crowd of people who stood around by the hundreds. Men, women, and even plenty of children stood still with pale faces and nervous smiles, as if they thought they’d be killed on sight if they were caught not enjoying this display of the Emperor’s power.

Wu bowed his head low. He hadn’t wanted his death to be used to instill fear in a whole country of people. After living alone in the mountains for decades, he’d always thought his death wouldn’t effect very many people.

Wu heard footsteps behind him, and the familiar sound of metal armor bouncing on a pair of shoulders. Garmadon grinned smugly behind Wu as he approached, pushing the old man to his knees roughly. 

**“Look at this fool,”** Garmadon called, his loud voice perfectly audible to all of the people. **“This man, Wu, a recluse and a self-exiled teacher who only ever had students when they came piling on his doorstep – my _brother_ ,” **Garmadon snarled. **“Today, he will perish here on this platform, and with his demise, we will have one less person threatening the power of Ninjago. The power that keeps you _safe._ ”**

Many in the crowd began to cheer, albeit halfheartedly, and Garmadon grinned even wider before leaning down to hiss in Wu’s ear. **“Ever the mature one, ever the highly favored in our father’s eyes…”** Garmadon’s eyes narrowed with hatred. **“He thought you’d do great things, not sit alone on a mountain. You never minded when he’d praise you for everything you did – not when _anyone_ praised you – and yet, while you were seen as the better half, I was becoming stronger, Wu. I took our father’s world and made it my own.”**

“It was never yours to take-“ Wu started, but Garmadon shoved his brother’s face into the platform. 

**“Choose your final words carefully. Would you really dare to insult me with your dying breath? I think you’ve insulted me _enough._ ”**

Wu remained quiet.

Garmadon raised his sword above his head and prepared to bring it down, and Wu shut his eyes. Before Garmadon made a move, he said clearly, **“This is for stealing my son from me,”** before bringing the sword down swiftly and-

A strange sound whizzed by the crowd and a streak of white formed into a chunk of ice that hardened around the edge of the sword, sending it flying out of Garmadon’s hands. The Emperor looked around furiously, and sure enough, there was the Master of Ice, Zane, standing on one of the slanted roofs with his element glowing between his hands. Jay, Cole, and Kai stood beside him, striking fighting stances.

“That’s our sensei, Garmadork!” Jay quipped before firing a stream of lightning that Garmadon narrowly stepped away from. “Hand him over! Now!”

The crowd began to express mixed reactions to the sudden appearance of ninja. Some cheered and then covered their mouths as if they’d sinned against the Emperor, and others began screaming and running away. The ninja couldn’t blame them.

Wu smiled from where he was bent down. 

One after the other, the four ninja leapt down from the roof and began walking towards the platform, each of them with their hoods pulled down over their face. Kai raised a fire-engulfed hand above his head and waved it around. “Alright people, go! Get out of here!”

More of the crowd began to quickly leave, and Kai let out a sigh of relief. 

“Its better that way,” Cole nodded. “We’re not gonna risk civilians getting hurt.”

 **“You weren’t willing to finish the job before,”** Garmadon mused. **“What makes you certain you will now?”**

“Oh, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t willing,” Jay rolled his eyes and pulled his hands apart, creating bolts pulsating between his palms. “Our last method didn’t work out. Maybe this one will.”

 **“Have some common sense, Captain,”** Garmadon went _tsk tsk_ as he shook his head, nodding down at Wu. **“Any of you make a move, and I kill him right here.”**

 _Empty words,_ Lloyd echoed across the mental bond. The four ninja approaching Garmadon looked skeptical but still sent waves of agreement back. _My team is almost in position. Keep him busy._

“We can settle this calmly,” Cole offered, though his words were empty too. “I know you want to act big and tough, but we’ve beaten you before.”

Garmadon seemed to be fighting off the urge to mockingly laugh at them. He knew that it was Lloyd and Harumi who subdued him, and the other ninja knew this as well. He seemed confused for a moment, seemingly trying to figure out what Cole was getting at. He still stood close to Wu.

“Yeah,” Kai grinned, lightly elbowing Jay. “How about this? If _you_ make any move on our _sensei_ , we’ll have no choice but to end things right here.”

Garmadon’s eyes still darted back and forth in search.

**“You’re stalling.”**

Kai gave a mock look of deep thought before smirking wider. “Yep.”

As a crashing sound came from above, Garmadon could only glance upwards before a pair of massive green claws thrust down and slammed him down against the pavement, pinning him down. The beast arched its chest and a lengthy neck rose higher before a pair of large glowing orange eyes stared down at the emperor. The Energy Dragon let out a triumphant, confident roar before a second dragon came down on its left.

The Amber Dragon boasted a proud wingspan and lifted them into the air swiftly, sending a small gust of wind in a random direction. Its eyes transitioned between a multitude of colors as it seemed to be picking through its options of elements.

Lloyd sat on the saddle of his dragon, with Harumi seated behind him and glowing gold once more. Skylor was seated on hers, clearly glad to have a way to fight without using her leg. Seliel brushed away strands of pink hair as her head popped out from behind Skylor.

Finally, Nya’s Water Dragon swept down to complete the trio.

Garmadon appeared completely shocked before twisting into a mess of roaring and sounds of frustration. Finally, he formed enough dark purple energy to knock the Energy Dragon back and free himself, but as he picked himself up, another dragon caught him.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Kai exclaimed, laughing more than he should have been. The Fire Ninja reached down to pet the neck of his Fire Dragon. “I don’t think my new pal likes you very much.”

“Oh, don’t hog him,” Cole joked, his own dragon swooping in to drag its claws dangerously close to Garmadon’s head. “Where’s yours, Emperor? I could have sworn you used to have one.”

“That’s quite enough,” Wu cleared his throat as he picked himself up off the ground, dusting himself off. “You’ve had your fun, students. Hold my brother tightly, but don’t let your recklessness steal away another chance at ending the fight.”

Cole and Kai glanced at each other before nodding. “Aye, Sensei,” they spoke in unison.

After a moment, Lloyd hopped off of the saddle, sliding off of his dragon but leaving it formed behind him. Harumi soon followed, still glowing brightly. 

“Lloyd, you’re alright,” Wu sighed in relief, embracing his nephew gently. “I had feared the worst.” His focus shifted. “And…Princess Harumi?” The elder stepped back in surprise. “Why, you’re looking better than okay. However did you acquire the Golden Power?”

Harumi slightly blushed, nudging Lloyd’s shoulder. “It’s a long story…at least, I think it is. I was sort of hoping you could explain it.”

“As I told you before, the Golden Power has bestowed itself to many hosts over the centuries. If it has suddenly come to you here and now,” Wu gestured to Garmadon, “then it must be given to you so that you can show us the way.”

Harumi raised an eyebrow. “The way? Way to what?”

“You stopped me from killing him on the ship because of a _feeling_ ,” Lloyd reminded Harumi, the pieces coming together in his head. “The Golden Power has been responsible for getting us this far. I think my uncle is right; maybe it’ll show us the right thing to do.”

Just as the last syllable left his mouth, Lloyd let out a sound of surprise as the Golden Power engulfed his body as well. He looked down at himself and then back at Wu. “Is that its way of saying ‘yes’?”

Wu chuckled. “I believe so. I think you should focus on this together.”

“How are they gonna do that?” Seliel asked. 

“If they have to get close to Garmadon, I volunteer to juggle him with my dragon’s wings if he retaliates,” Kai raised his hand.

“Kai, seriously, sometimes you’re just-“ Nya groaned and ran a hand down her face. “Wings don’t just-“

“No, no, he’s onto something,” Jay snickered. “I call dibs on round two.”

“We have to meditate,” Harumi spoke dully, almost like a robot. Her eyes seemed to be staring off in space before refocusing. Her golden hand gripped Lloyd’s, and she looked at Wu for reassurance. “This is why I was trained to meditate as a child, isn’t it? It was destiny, wasn’t it?”

Wu nodded slowly. “You have learned well, Princess. Put your training to good use – both of you. The Golden Power will reveal the way.”

As the two seated on the platform and closed their eyes, Zane spoke up. “Let’s keep a close eye on Garmadon while they’re doing that, shall we?”

Lloyd could feel his mind intertwined with another again, but this time the bond formed by Skylor seemed to be pushed away. Instead, he could feel Harumi pushing through with familiar warm sensations, the soft humming of her thoughts seeming more like a lullaby than a search.

Words, ideas, and pictures formed in Lloyd’s mind. He could see them as clearly as if his eyes were open. Harumi’s humming grew louder across from him, and he assumed she’d seen the same. 

_Words…_

_Containment…mountain…cold…temple…Kodokuna…crystal…_

_Images…_

_A streak of light…a teapot…a green glow…the hands of a clock…_

Lloyd’s eyebrows furled as he continued to focus.

_A lonesome snake…a tattered scroll…a pair of purple-red eyes…a photograph…_

The vision warped, and Lloyd could feel Harumi’s half of the mental bond shrivel back in fear.

Lloyd was face to face with himself, with his alternate wearing a dark cape and wearing a golden crown upon his head. This other’s eyes were green like normal, but glowing with a sense of raw power and a lack of constraint. A smug, amused smile tugged at the Lloyd’s lips, but then he turned before Lloyd got a better look.

A second figure joined the other Lloyd. There was Harumi, dressed in a dark gown and wearing several golden rings on multiple fingers. One stood out the most, nearly shining like a light. _As the other Lloyd reached out to embrace her, his own ring was revealed, and the two shared a kiss._

_As they pulled apart, Harumi ran a slow hand down the curve of her belly, boasting a pregnancy that was quite far along. After a few flashes, Lloyd and Harumi’s positions changed, and they were seen cradling an infant in their arms. The face was hidden._

_Years passed, and the infant grew into a child. Then the child into a man._

_He had red eyes, and now, so did his father._

Lloyd pulled **_away-_**

“I can’t do it!” he exclaimed, pulling his hands away from Harumi and standing to his feet. 

“What’s wrong, Lloyd?” Kai asked. “I thought you were at least better at meditating than me.”

“It’s not that,” Lloyd shook his head. Harumi slowly stood up alongside him, her devastated expression proving that she’d experienced the same vision. “What I saw…it’s frightening, Uncle.” Lloyd turned to give Wu a defeated frown. 

“Did the Golden Power reveal how to take care of Garmadon?” Seliel asked.

“It revealed another path,” Harumi sighed. “The path Lloyd and I could both be on one day if we don’t do things just as destiny was written.”

“It’s like you said, Sensei,” Cole’s eyes widened. “Some people who used the Golden Power ended up becoming corrupted and using it for evil.”

“If that’s what the Golden Power showed you, then you must keep meditating until it shows you how to keep your vision from happening,” Wu insisted.

“Maybe I don’t have pure intentions after all,” Lloyd shook his head. “Maybe the Golden Power offered itself to Harumi because it found a good heart, but I’m starting to think I was given it for the wrong reason.”

“It always has a purpose,” Wu argued. “But just like the struggle we’ve been going through all together, there is a balance between light and dark that is constantly shifting in favor of one side over the other. My father knew this when he created Ninjago. You can’t change the natural order of things.”

“I’ve made my decision,” Lloyd spoke before taking a long, deep breath. He made eye contact with everyone before continuing. “I won’t use the Golden Power to find the best way to end this. Not if there’s that much at stake.”

“Lloyd,” Skylor began to warn him, but she already knew it was a losing battle. “Lloyd, think carefully about this. You were just saying that you _have_ to use the Golden Power to deal with him the right way.”

“I was wrong,” Lloyd folded his arms. “We were all wrong. Maybe throwing my father in a cell isn’t what destiny has in mind, but at least that won’t end up turning me and Harumi down the path of evil.”

“Throwing him in a cell?” Nya asked in surprise. “What happened to us not being safe as long as he’s alive to scheme against us?”

“Maybe that’s our burden,” Cole offered. “I trust you, Lloyd. You’ve brought us this far, and I’m not about to lose faith in you now. If Garmadon has to live, then he has to live.”

Kai seemed upset, but finally nodded in agreement. “For _now_.”

“What the heck,” Jay shrugged. “Couldn’t possibly get worse anyway, right?”

“Jay…” Nya sighed.

“Alright, fine,” Jay nodded as well. “I trust you, Lloyd.”

Wu looked around at his students in surprise. “You all are in agreement?”

“You made Lloyd our leader,” Kai spoke as he wrapped an arm around the blonde. “I’d be a terrible teammate to leave him alone on this one. We’d _all_ be terrible teammates.”

“I am also in agreement,” Zane smiled slightly.

“Same here,” Seliel raised a hand.

“Me too,” Nya nodded.

“I trust you more than I’ve cared to admit before,” Skylor chuckled to herself as she peered down from her saddle. “You’re a good leader, Lloyd. As much as I want to see this world finally rid of that terrible dictator of a father, I’m willing to settle for making faces at him through the bars of a cell for now.”

Garmadon never voiced his opinion.

* * *

_3 months later…_

In the small but still significant amount of time since the imprisonment of former Emperor Garmadon, Ninjago had been reverted back quickly for the most part, at least as far as the way the country was ruled over. Empress Harumi had proven to be a kind, understanding, but firm ruler who preferred to stroll the streets of the city and visit the people rather than spend hours on the throne. Perhaps one day, when she was certain that the living conditions were better, she would spend more time in her palace, but for now, Empress Harumi was seen as just about everyone’s friend.

Jobs had been reopened and families were able to support themselves once more without having to steal food or offer themselves as servants to Garmadon’s warriors. The entire army had been swept away, with all of them being imprisoned along with Garmadon in a secret location that very few people involved knew about.

The gladiator arena had been closed down and labeled as an illegal sport, but Cole still seemed to think it’d be a great building to remodel for a new football stadium. The Empress promised to _consider_ the idea.

Speaking of the ninja, getting the world to feel safe with masked elementals acting as a defense force was illogical, to say the least. Too many issues would have arised, but the biggest problem was the identities of the ninja in question. Lloyd Garmadon and Skylor Chen, most notably, turned people away almost immediately, with large groups calling for their arrest. 

The day that Empress Harumi beckoned Lloyd, Skylor, and Jay each to the palace for royal pardons was a controversial one, and one that some saw as an unfortunate stain on her early rule. Pardoning Jay was much simpler than the crimes Lloyd and Skylor had both committed, and pardoning them in the first place required Harumi to follow confusing laws that hadn’t been set in place for over a decade. She was about to effectively rewrite entire sections of the law before Skylor stepped away.

The assassin was given immunity only long enough to leave the city. At this point, seeing as Skylor walked off out of her own choice, Harumi couldn’t hold back the police force any longer. None of the team could get much of an explanation out of Skylor after that other than she didn’t want to make things look any worse for the new Empress.

Either way, unfortunately, it still looked bad, and instead of looking like a naïve empress who was a bit too quick to pardon an assassin, she looked like a naïve empress who went through all that effort for nothing. Even all of the makeup couldn’t hide the blush that crept across Harumi’s face. As Empress, she couldn’t cower away and hide her face, so she had to properly dismiss the public pardon, as painful as it was.

Captain Walker, now ditching the name completely and going simply by Jay, still went free and was allowed to take up a multitude of professions. Still, his crew -including Flintlocke - weren’t quite ready to accept civilian life, going on their own way with the _Misfortune’s Keep._ Still, they promised to write back to Jay on occasion to talk about their newest finds. Jay turned down the offer for a new profession, deciding to stick with the team back in the Monastery. The rest of the members, including Seliel after days of convincing her father, stuck around as well. 

The look of disappointment and heartbreak on the Empress’ face that day was more than Lloyd could bear. He still sat there in his seat, looking up at Harumi as she hopelessly watched the crowds spill out of the building, eventually leaving the two and a dozen guards alone. Lloyd and Harumi didn’t speak in that moment, nor did they speak a single word before Lloyd finally left. 

Harumi had expected to make him a free man before the end of the day. Months later, Lloyd Garmadon was still a criminal and the people still hated him. The unfortunate last name seemed to be the only thing people noticed or cared about when it came to the Green Ninja.

Ninjago was still thriving. It was by far the best it had been in years.

Princess Harumi never got to see Lloyd during those long few months.

* * *

“Bringing you along was an awful idea,” Lloyd commented as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and made sure the hood covered as much of his face as it could. Growing up in the Garmadon household, hoodies were never a part of his wardrobe, never mind _jeans_.

The redhead bouncing down the road beside him let out a laugh and shoved him playfully. “Come on, Blondie, you think I’m worried about what’d happen to me if I get recognized?”

“I’m worried about what’d happen to _me_ ,” Lloyd sighed. “You’re not even _trying_ to hide your face. I think it’s pretty suspicious that you decided to let your hair down for once today, specifically _today_ , when I’m forced to bring you along. I hardly ever see you without a ponytail.”

“Yeah, so they only _expect_ me with a ponytail,” Skylor rolled her eyes, and then ran a few deft fingers through long red strands. 

“I’d argue that making the bright red hair more noticeable is just as obvious, if not more so,” Lloyd countered.

“Eh,” Skylor shrugged. “Even if like, oh, I don’t know… _twenty_ people already recognized me, and by process of elimination, _you_ …” Skylor grinned. “Oh, come on - don’t tell me there’s not a bit of an odd thrill in that.”

Lloyd grumbled something and kept his eyes on the cobblestone path, now walking through the busy marketplace. “If getting arrested and having _that_ on Harumi’s shoulders is what you call thrilling, then sure.”

“We wouldn’t get arrested, though,” Skylor laughed. “You seriously think that there’s anyone out there who could stand up to me, and I wouldn’t kick his a-“

“No, but if you get in a fight with any of them, I’ll kick yours,” Lloyd shot back, but then a friendly grin crept across. “I’ll admit, I do appreciate the company, but the last thing I need is you causing chaos and getting us both in deeper trouble.”

“Is that what you think this is?” Skylor raised an eyebrow. “You think Harumi has called you back to the palace because you’re in _trouble_?”

“I don’t know, _maybe_ ,” Lloyd shrugged. “It could be that someone was digging through Dad’s fortress and found my old baby spoon for all I care. It could be that, and they’d be calling it a stashed weapon or some crap like that.”

“Harumi wouldn’t call you in for that,” Skylor scoffed. “The whole city could be screaming at her to put you in court, and she’d still defend you. She misses you Lloyd, get used to it.” Skylor laughed again and threw her head back. “You’ve got a dangerous relationship going on there, but I kinda see the appeal. Have you thought of sneaking through her window at night? That’d be pretty romantic.”

“Since when do _you_ know romantic?” Lloyd chuckled. “And no, I haven’t thought of that because it’d be _stupid._ She’s the Empress of Ninjago – her window is probably covered by a couple dozen cameras. The glass is probably super thick, too, to account for snipers-“

“Have her keep the window unlocked for you sometime,” Skylor suggested. “I bet she’d check and double check that every camera was facing the wrong way on just one occasion for you.”

“You don’t seem to have caught the issue here,” Lloyd groaned. “Harumi- er, _Empress_ Harumi is out of my reach at this point. There is no relationship. Never was.”

“All that time holding hands and exchanging longing glances and you _still_ never got with her?” Skylor snorted. “Never even _kissed_?”

“No. Yes. Well, no. Yes.” Lloyd looked away again. “Nevermind.”

“I wasn’t referring to the one she gave you after you saved her from the traffic,” Skylor pointed out as if she was reading his mind. “I get the feeling there was another, though.”

 _There was_ , Lloyd thought to himself. _But that one wasn’t from **me** , was it? _

“Let’s change the subject,” Lloyd cleared his throat. “Hearing all this lovey-dovey stuff from _you_ of all people is disturbing. Unless you want to talk about _Kai…_ ”

Skylor gave Lloyd a look of pure unamusement. “No, you’re not turning my teasing against me. That’s not how it works.”

“I guess we won’t talk about him, then…”

“He’s handsome – ‘guy’s got an exaggerated head of hair, but it fits his stupid, cocky face,” Skylor rolled her eyes. “That’s all. That’s all I’m saying.”

Lloyd wasn’t prepared for the welcome he received at the steps to the palace. A horde of guards all hurried forward, creating a wall that blocked his path. Skylor had stepped forward instinctively, baring her teeth, but Lloyd held up a hand to pause.

“Her highness has requested your presence, Mr. Garmadon,” the lead guard spoke, his voice curling a bit in slight disgust at Lloyd’s last name. “We must check you for weapons. And you,” he glanced at Skylor, “were not requested.”

“He’s not going in without me,” Skylor spoke up stubbornly before Lloyd could say a word. Her hood flew off of her head and she stared at the man with her piercing eyes. “Tell him, Lloyd. I didn’t come all this way to be locked out, did I?”

Lloyd cringed back slightly. “Uh…no?”

The guard straightened. “Her highness’ orders were specific. Skylor Chen was not summoned, and her presence here is no longer covered by her immunity.” Lifting an arm, he announced, “Men! Arrest this woman.”

Just before Skylor could send a sucker punch into the guard’s face, Lloyd stood in front of her and raised his hands defensively. “Wait, wait, wait! Just…hang on a second. If we both agree to let you check us for weapons, you’ll know we didn’t come here for a fight. You have my word that we’ll stand here and not make any moves if you’ll speak to the Empress for me.”

The main guard seemed intrigued. “You both won’t use your elemental powers to attack us?”

“Why would I dig myself a deeper hole?” Lloyd countered, and those words seemed to carry enough meaning with them to convince the guard. 

“I will deliver a message to her,” he nodded. “As long as you keep your word.”

“Tell her that Lloyd Garmadon has arrived and he brought an old friend. See if she can grant permission for Skylor come inside too.”

The man seemed to almost immediately regret his offer, but he stayed true to his promise. “Very well. We’ll see what Her Highness approves.”

* * *

“May I announce the entrance of the Green Ninja, Lloyd Garmadon, Your Majesty,” the guard’s voice raised as he entered the room and bowed his head respectfully. “And, as you also approved, Skylor Chen has also come into your throne room.”

Lloyd’s breath hitched as he spotted Harumi, dressed in a thin green dress with red and gold decorated throughout. A long white cape with red flower details cascaded behind her, and her face was painted white with red markings along the corners of her eyes, and a small red circle on each cheek. Her lips were also painted ruby red, and her long white hair had been tied up and held by a gold crown that rested gently on her head.

She was hardly recognizable, but the warm smile she gave him was still all her own. 

Lloyd bowed, and Skylor did the same after swallowing her pride.

“It is wonderful seeing you both again,” Harumi expressed excitedly, but she slightly faltered upon noticing the guards’ concerned looks. Clearing her throat, her voice returned to a more “royal” tone. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t divulge the details of my summoning you here in the message, but I hope you understand why I wanted to be discreet about this.”

Lloyd nodded but still raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question. _Discreet about what?_

Harumi seemed to be trying to keep herself from smiling widely, but she finally gave up. She grinned from ear to ear as she explained, “After much work studying the archives and reading through Ninjago’s long list of laws for some areas that could use some improvement, I…well, I think I’ve finally found a way to make you a free man, Lloyd.”

Lloyd exchanged glances with Skylor before both of his eyebrows raised. “You’re sure?”

“Yes,” Harumi kept on smiling, and then turned to Skylor. “I may not have a finished solution for _you_ yet, Skylor, and I apologize for that-“

“Don’t sweat it,” the redhead laughed gently. “You know I’m in no rush to become a rule-abiding citi-“

“But it won’t be long!” Harumi nearly yelled over Skylor, drowning that last part out. She glanced briefly at the guards hesitantly before taking a deep breath. “Give me a couple of weeks, Skylor, and I _promise_ , your record will be wiped clean. You won’t be allowed to work in very many places since I can’t permit you to flip burgers in a fast food joint, but…you’ll be free.”

Skylor was quiet for a moment before smiling thankfully. “I appreciate it, Your Highness. Thank you.”

“So what do I have to do?” Lloyd asked. “Will there be another public pardon?”

Harumi went to explain right away but then shut her mouth, shaking her head and standing up from her throne. “It’d be better for me to explain in comfort,” she offered, gesturing for Lloyd to follow her towards a door to the side. The guards moved forward to protect her. 

“Easy, gentlemen,” Harumi sighed. “I will permit _five_ of you to go with Mr. Garmadon and I, but no more than that. I will be perfectly fine.”

“For your protection, Your Majesty,” the head guard spoke up again.

“After today, you’ll see that _Lloyd_ was meant to protect too.” She glanced back at Lloyd before adding, “I hope that the world sees that about all of the ninja someday.”

“I’ll stay behind,” Skylor offered, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Don’t worry, there are _plenty_ of guards to make sure I stay out of trouble.”

* * *

“You managed to get this courthouse filled with plants rather quickly,” Lloyd noticed as he came to stand beside Harumi. He could hear the footsteps of guards instinctively stepping closer, but he ignored them. “I didn’t think you could grow plants that fast.”

Harumi appeared solemn but then laughed. “I didn’t start growing them as soon as we rebuilt the palace. I had them carried in.”

“You can do that?”

Harumi slightly smirked. “You’ve never grown a garden before, have you?”

Lloyd cleared his throat. “No.”

“This courtyard is probably my favorite room in the whole palace,” Harumi admitted, looking around thoughtfully. “I made sure we had it fixed up as soon as possible.”

Lloyd stayed quiet, seemingly wondering about the significance of the room. Harumi sighed.

“This was the room that I escaped from when it all happened.” She noticed Lloyd’s shoulders slump. “It’s the last part of this palace that I ever saw before running away.” Turning her eyes to the glass ceiling, Harumi smiled sadly. “This place holds a special meaning to me.” After a moment, she turned away, putting on her royal face again to lead Lloyd over to a pair of chairs. “Please, have a seat. I’m sure you’re more than interested in hearing what I’ve discovered.”

Her tone of voice rubbed Lloyd the wrong way, but then again, so did everything in this place. The guards looming nearby watching his every move, the clothing and makeup that covered up so much of the Harumi he knew, the eloquent, decorated walls…

It was all so foreign to Lloyd. Still, this was Harumi’s life now. He was supposed to support her.

“Of course,” Lloyd finally responded, taking a seat. Once again, the guards shifted positions to come closer.

“As I said before, I’ve found a way to wipe your record and give you a proper pardon,” Harumi began, that same excited smile once again returning, although with a bit more well-mannered restraint. Lloyd wasn’t sure if he liked that so much. “Constance?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the lead guard stepped forward.

“Do you have that document I handed you earlier?” She asked, but it seemed more like a request as she extended her hand in expectation. The guard nodded and pulled out a rolled paper. Harumi set it out flat on the table between her and Lloyd, flattening it out with her hands. Lloyd noticed she wasn’t wearing any gloves, and her hands weren’t painted like her face.

It was the only bit of untouched skin he could find on her.

“This is the royal document I’ve been working on finalizing over the past week or so,” Harumi explained simply, sounding like she didn’t see a week as any time at all. “In the document, you’ll find detailed information on all of your known crimes, but also more than enough evidence that you’ve changed and you’re willing to stay changed.”

Lloyd nodded slowly. “So what do I do? Sign it?”

Harumi turned the paper around for Lloyd to read, pushing it closer to him. “The only thing you have to do is agree – by mouth – to the pardon. You can read through it as much as you’d like. I can make you free as soon as you say the word, and I’ll publicly announce the changes to the royal law tomorrow morning so everything is solidified.”

“Changes to the law?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

Harumi almost appeared guilty for a moment. “As much as I’d like to see the world accept you from this day forward, it may still be a bumpy road for a while. Even bringing this to court wouldn’t solve anything like with Captain Walker, so I had to resort to something else.”

“What is that ‘something else’?” Lloyd asked. He really hoped he wasn’t going to make her look bad.

“I’m not bringing it to court. Or to the Council of Elders. Or anyone,” Harumi sighed. “It will never be passed there.”

“So what did you do?”

Harumi hesitated. “…I used my power as Empress to make it happen.” She faltered a bit in her answer, but later appeared confident in it. “That’s all I can divulge. If no one else will agree to free you, I had to take the law into my own hands. I have the power to do that.”

“You could have done that before if you were comfortable with it,” Lloyd noticed.

“But I wasn’t,” Harumi shook her head. “Not comfortable with it, I mean.”

“So, what changed?” Lloyd asked, no much more intrigued. He watched Harumi’s pretty but conflicted face for a while as she pondered a response.

“I realized that, whether it’s the opinion of others or not…” she paused to look at her guards quickly, “…I was allowing a good man – a _hero_ – to spend his days as a criminal. You don’t deserve that. Maybe no one else shares my feelings, but I don’t care.”

That last part seemed to cause a few guards to clear their throats quietly. Harumi only half-noticed.

“Harumi…” Lloyd started, but then caught himself. “Er, I mean, Your Highness…you didn’t have to do that for me.”

Harumi looked sad for a moment before meeting his eyes meaningfully. “Neither did you.”

Lloyd smiled as he realized what she meant, and then took a deep breath before sliding the document back to her. “I accept your pardon, Your Highness.”

“Great!” Harumi’s mood lightened almost immediately and she broke into a smile of her own, standing to her feet and rolling the document back up. “Upon this moment, Lloyd Garmadon, you are free. Congratulations.”

Lloyd nodded thankfully. “I’ll do my best to reflect your confidence in me. You have my word.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Harumi agreed. 

“So, uh, I guess I’m probably supposed to get going now,” Lloyd spoke quietly as he walked to the door. The guards once again shifted.

“That’s something you also don’t have to feel obligated to do,” Harumi spoke slowly, and Lloyd turned to see her coy smile. “Seeing as you’re free now, why not enjoy it? I have my cooks preparing dinner as we speak, and after that, I’d like to take you along with me into the city. There’s still so much I haven’t seen, and I hear you’re quite knowledged in the various levels.”

Lloyd appeared surprised.

“Or, if you wish, we can just stay here in the palace for the rest of the day,” Harumi offered. “I understand if you’re not sure about walking in public just yet. I can have Constance go tell the maids to prepare a massage for you. Your muscles must be tense from all of your training, right?”

Lloyd beamed at her. “You don’t seem to want me to leave.”

“Oh, well…” Harumi turned red again. “I’m just so happy for you. Maybe a day of relaxation in the palace would be good for the both of us.”

“I would be honored,” Lloyd bowed his head. “However…”

Harumi frowned. “Is there a problem?”

Lloyd stayed quiet for a moment, beginning to tease at their mental bond from months before. As he found the lingering remnants of their last connection, Harumi’s presence burst to life and he could instantly hear her thoughts. A wide grin crossed both of their faces.

_I’d love to stay, but I have dinner planned with the team back home. Besides, a day with you sounds like a blast, but I’m not sure how much longer I can handle this awkward feeling of being watched. I can tell you don’t like it much either._

Feelings of amusement flowed between them. _Oh, I know, right? Uh, maybe tomorrow?_

_I’ve got a better idea. Tonight. After dinner. Can you turn the cameras off outside your window?_

_Yeah, why?_

_Make sure that’s taken care of and leave your window unlocked for me. I really need to talk to you without the both of us being forced to act like empress and lowly subject._

_Aw, you’re not my lowly subject._

One of the guards coughed, and Lloyd and Harumi both realized how long they’d gone without talking.

“Uh, I’ll give you more time to think it over,” Harumi stammered, and Lloyd nearly facepalmed.

_Great coverup. I think you bought us three seconds._

_I’ll leave the window unlocked and turn the cameras off, got it. When can I expect you?_

_Probably around 10:30. I get the feeling Cole and the guys are gonna rope me into a few long card games again._

_That’s late. Really late._

_Pick a movie. Stash some food. We’ll pull an all-nighter._

_I’m the Empress. I don’t need to stash anything._

_Even better._

Lloyd and Harumi made eye contact one more time before Lloyd turned away. _See you then._

* * *

“There he is,” Kai announced cheerfully as Lloyd came aboard the deck. In his hands were two glasses of some sort of orange liquid, and he handed one to the Green Ninja. “We were starting to think you weren’t coming, man.” As Skylor came in behind Lloyd, the Fire Ninja softened a bit. “Wassup, Sky?”

“Told you not to call me that,” she replied in a sing-song voice before walking right past him and into the room.

“We’re a bit late because you guys never bothered telling me the party got moved to the _Misfortune’s Keep,_ ” Lloyd rolled his eyes. “Skylor and I dropped by the Monastery, but the only one there was Wu, and he was sleeping.”

“You didn’t wake him up, did you?” Jay’s eyes widened as his head poked out from behind a few pizza boxes. “Hauling all of this food out of there without making any sound was a nightmare.”

“He doesn’t know about the party then,” Lloyd figured.

“Yeah, guess we forgot to mention that part, too,” Kai shrugged. “My bad. Either way, you’re here now and there’s _plenty_ of pizza to go around. At least, as long as Jay paces himself.”

“Lloyd, how’s it going?” Nya called as she hurried over, embracing Lloyd in a hug. As she pulled away, she looked him over. “You’re looking _overly_ happy today. You feeling alright?”

Skylor peered over from her seat. “He’s all giddy because he got to see his girlfriend today.”

“That’s why you had to leave, huh?” Kai elbowed the blonde gently. “How’s the Empress these days, anyway?”

“She’s doing fine,” Lloyd shrugged. “Seems a bit out of her element, but I think she’ll adjust.”

“If being the mayor’s daughter has taught me anything, it’s that you _never_ get used to the all the stupid formalities,” Seliel commented as she, too, came over. “Nice to see you again, Lloyd.”

“Greetings, Lloyd,” Zane said as he walked over with Pixal’s hand intertwined in his. The two were both wearing ugly sweaters, something Lloyd assumed was Jay and Nya’s idea. 

Cole had come up behind Lloyd without his knowledge, wrapping a strong arm around him. “Good to see ya, man.”

“So everyone’s here, then,” Lloyd grinned.

“Yep, Flintlocke and the rest of the crew are over there duking it out for the last beer bottle,” Nya pointed in their direction with a roll of her eyes. “Pretty stupid, if you ask me.”

“I remember you getting _really_ tipsy that one time at the Monastery,” Jay chuckled.

“That was…well, yeah, I was sort of drunk, but that was the pirate’s doing, too.”

“I’d like to announce something, actually,” Lloyd spoke, gaining everyone’s attention. “Let’s have a toast, just to make it special.”

Cole was already hurrying over with glasses as soon as the words left Lloyd’s mouth. “Grape soda all around, fellas.”

“Aren’t we big kids now,” Kai remarked sarcastically.

“Alright, I have some big news for all of you,” Lloyd started.

“That’s not how you do a toast, Lloyd,” Skylor teased.

“Just wait a minute! I’m getting there,” Lloyd exclaimed. “Listen, today I visited Harumi at the palace, and she had something for me that I wasn’t expecting.”

Skylor gave Lloyd a look that seemed to guess, _A kiss?_ but Lloyd ignored her.

“She finally freed me, guys. She gave me an official pardon and everything.”

“Whoop, whoop!” Seliel raised her glass in the air and bounced up and down, pulling Cole along with her. “Our leader is finally not a criminal anymore! Huzzah!”

Lloyd chuckled. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”

“Congratulations,” Zane smiled. “That was quite kind of her.”

“Now I want to, uh, make a toast to that, I guess,” Lloyd finished awkwardly.

“Oh my gosh,” Skylor groaned. “You have no idea, do you? A toast to this team, to our victory, a free Ninjago, a bunch of pizza, and Cole’s grape soda,” she drawled with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t even care. Drink up, y’all.”

The team decided to go along with that.

* * *

Harumi made sure to be as quiet as possible as she made her way to her bedroom, turning around every so often to make sure her maid was close by. Maria, whose company Harumi had quickly come to appreciate the most, was about as confused as the Empress expected when she’d been asked to deliver an entire cart of snack foods to the bedroom. One of the wheels was squeaky, and Harumi had almost decided to carry all the food herself to spare the risk of alerting someone, but Maria insisted.

She’d never hear the end of it from her fellow maids if they found out she willingly let the Empress carry boxes of noodles and several liters of soda in her arms.

“If I may ask, Your Grace,” Maria whispered as she hurried along, “what could you need all of this food for? You’ve already eaten dinner, and this is enough food for at least a handful of people.”

“I was never the neatest of princesses,” Harumi offered, although her heart wasn’t in it. “It may not be ladylike, but curling up in bed with some snacks and ice cream sounds _really_ good right about now.”

“I…I guess so,” Maria replied hesitantly.

As they reached the bedroom, Harumi pushed the door open and stepped through, instructing Maria to leave the cart beside her bed and get out a nightgown and a robe. In the meantime, the Empress walked into the connected bathroom to stand at the sink. After a brief look at herself, she twisted the knob to turn the water on, and began drenching her hands before running them down her face. White paint with red, messy splotches drizzled down her cheeks and over the curve of her chin, and while Harumi would normally do this in a cleaner, less messy way, but there was something _oh-so-satisfying_ about watching all of that paint finally drip off of her, letting her real face free.

“You requested a movie as well, Your Majesty?” Maria called from the main room.

“Yes, Maria,” Harumi called back, wiping off the last of the paint. “After you’ve set up the TV, you’re free to retire for the night.”

“I already have it set up,” Maria responded. “I’m leaving now, Your Majesty. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

After hearing the door shut behind Maria, Harumi broke into a smile, watching her bare face in the mirror. “Oh, I will,” she laughed gently to herself, wondering how much longer her Green Ninja would be before finally arriving. 

A few minutes later, after Harumi had gotten changed into her nightgown, she heard a small thud against the wall of the palace. She nearly bounded off of the bed, fishing her arms through the sleeves of her robe in an attempt to quickly put it on, and then she came to the window. Peering through, she saw no one. _Being sneaky, is he?_ Harumi thought to herself.

Upon opening the window, her suspicions were proven as a masked head came into view, just a few inches from her face. Harumi smirked and reached out with one hand to nearly effortlessly pull it off of his head. She held it in both hands for a moment before tossing it over her shoulder and onto the floor somewhere, flashing a playful mile. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” Lloyd smiled back, rubbing the back of his neck. “Finally managed to get the guys to call it a night for the party. I’m not late, am I?”

Harumi’s eyes glanced over at a clock. “By a whole minute. I’m disappointed.”

“Ah geez,” Lloyd played along. “Does that mean I’m not allowed to come inside? I’d rather not be stuck gripping onto your wall for any longer than I have to.”

“I’ll make an exception just this once,” Harumi laughed. “I gotta say…” she trailed off for a moment before taking Lloyd’s right hand and leaning in to kiss him. Her lips were warm; his were cold, possibly from the outside weather. Harumi relished in the contrast. “…this was a really good idea.”

Lloyd’s eyes shone with expectation. “It was Skylor’s suggestion, actually.”

Harumi nodded. “I’ll be sure to thank her.”

With that, Harumi leaned in again for another kiss, her own anticipation bouncing between them. Finally, she pulled away, giving Lloyd a coy smile, and pulled him through her window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would end this with a huge paragraph like everyone else, but I don't have much to say other than I'm thankful for this platform where I can share my creativity and passion for writing. This story has been massive, and it's already been over a year since I started working on it. There are things I wish I had ironed out, and some things I would have changed, but I'm overall happy with how this came out.
> 
> Thanks for reading, fellas.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [When Darkness Rises](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058943) by [Appleby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Appleby/pseuds/Appleby)




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